Nataley Davis | staff writer

After 14 years of a mostly unchanged dining experience, Duquesne’s Rev. Sean Hogan Dining Center is closing for renovations on April 13.

Students received an email on Feb. 10 saying that during the closures there will be expanded dining options across campus.

Jaye Connolly, chairperson of Student Government Association’s Parkhurst Committee, said that restaurants on campus like Moonlit Burgers and The Rotary will accept meal swipes during the closure.

Leanna Fenneberg, senior vice president for student life, said in a statement to The Duke that students will be able to use up to 10 meal swipes a day during the closure, instead of the four they currently get.

The email to students said that there will be daily food trucks on campus and themed food pop-ups hosted by Duquesne and their dining partners. The adapted food options will accommodate vegetarians, vegans, people with food allergies and people who are gluten free, according to the email.

Connolly said that meal plan updates will be strongly communicated to students when they are finalized.

“At the moment, they’re still working some things out … students are going to be getting a lot of emails leading up to the close and after the close about information on where to go and what is happening,” Connolly said. 
”I know that a lot of kitchens for Hogan are being moved to the union ballroom and some foods will be in a food truck on A Walk.”

Employees who typically work in Hogan will be offered opportunities to continue working at various dining locations across campus, Fenneberg said.

SGA President Nick Miller said that it’s important for students to know that these accommodations will end once the dining hall reopens in the fall.

“This is not a new meal plan for Duquesne,” he said. “I’m confident from what I know that students are going to love what they have planned for us, but I think it’s also important for students to not read that email and say, ‘Oh, my God, Moonlit’s gonna have free meal swipes now.’”

Anne Lahoda, assistant vice president for student housing and residence life, said in a statement to The Duke that students living on campus over the summer will be eligible for free housing in St. Ann Hall while Hogan renovations are being finished.

The accommodated meal plan will only be available until the end of this semester. The traditional summer dining program offered at Duquesne will still be in effect, according to Scott Richards, assistant vice president of auxiliary services.

The story behind the renovations

In 2023, the dining hall received a few cosmetic updates such as new windows and studying booths, but the upcoming renovation is the first major makeover since 2012.

Miller said that a group of student leaders met with ​​the collaborative team planning the Hogan renovation last year to give their insight on what could be improved.

He said that the topics most commonly brought up by students about the current dining environment were the congested layout of food and cleanup stations, a desire for healthier options and the potential for study rooms and more seating.

“They gave us 20 different pictures of what it could look like, the layout … We got to vote for which ones we liked the most, and they used that input to determine and factor in what Hogan was going to look like,” he said.

Miller described the example images as “state of the art.”

Connolly serves as a connection point between students and the dining hall faculty to advocate for their concerns.

The main ambience-related goals for the team working on Hogan’s revitalization are to brighten the area, introduce more comfortable and accessible seating options and to fix technology mishaps on the TVs, Connolly said.

Lahoda said that reimagining the area for varying needs and events will add convenience to student’s lives.

“The redesigned space will feature ample seating — including spaces for groups and individual seating — dedicated booths and nooks for studying, and room to accommodate larger gatherings and events,” Lahoda said.

Miller said that he is confident this project will upgrade the standard of living on campus.

“I remember finding out about this last year and thinking ‘This is going to be huge for Duquesne,’” he said. “I think that people should know that not just the quality of what Hogan looks like is going to improve, but also the quality of food is going to improve, because there’s going to be new equipment and new food options.”

Nataley Davis can be reached at davisn5@duq.edu