Another school year has begun at California Lutheran University, and with it comes one of the biggest additions to the campus in recent memory, the Ullman Commons. The two level dining facility opened its door to the Cal Lutheran community on September 3, and students have already been speaking highly of the new commons.

“The difference between the new Ullman Commons and the old commons is like night and day,” Sophomore Jacob Whannel. “There is so much more to choose from this year.”

With a facility as large as the new commons it is no wonder that there is such a wide selection to choose from. The new dining hall is split into various sections so students, faculty and guests do not have to eat the same thing day after day. The various stations that are offered include a sandwich station, a Mongolian grill, a wood fire pizza oven, a salad bar, a pasta bar and of course, there is a station for dessert.

And if you are still looking for more options, the Food on Demand service is back this year. The Food on Demand Service, also known as FoD, offers a wide selection to choose from that you can customize yourself at the computer screen.

For students and faculty on the run, the new commons offers an Ullman-to-Go portion of the facility specifically for those who don’t have the time for the dining hall. With this separate to-go section, members of the Cal Lutheran community can get the same quality food without having to get caught up in the masses in the dining hall.

Arguably the most popular addition to the new commons is the Starbucks located on the first floor of the building. Many people need their coffee before they can get their day started and having a Starbucks on campus is a very welcome addition. The Starbucks has a menu full of all the regular assortment of drinks and snacks that have made the chain such a popular brand.

It also provides a place for the students and faculty alike to get caught up on some work and also a place for people to just spend some downtime in the heart of campus near Kingsmen Park.

“The Starbucks is probably my favorite part of the new commons because it gives the students a place on campus where they can just relax and kick it in between classes,” Junior David Rico said. They also stay open until midnight so if you ever need a jumpstart late at night you do not have to go very far.

With all the new additions to the campus dining options some people may forget that the Centrum Café is still a viable option when you are hungry on campus. The menu at the Centrum has different sandwiches, salads, pizzas, flatbreads and grilled options such as Angus and turkey burgers. They also still have their breakfast menu consisting of different breakfast sandwiches and breakfast burritos.

Third year student, Pierce Henning, who works in the new Starbucks and who has worked with on campus dining in the past believes that the new commons will do nothing but enrich the Cal Lutheran experience.

“It truly provides a pleasant dining experience to student life and being able to escape into the coziness of our built in Starbucks is quite refreshing,” Henning said.

With the addition of the new Ullman Commons, members of the Cal Lutheran campus community have yet another thing to be excited about as this school year gets started.

Alix Moise

Staff Writer

Published on September 17, 2014