The monthly obstruction of Marquis Dining Hall by Lafayette College faculty may soon be no more — the body is actively searching for a new location for its monthly meeting.
Since August, the faculty has ditched its usual Marquis Hall discussions to test out Colton Chapel, Farinon College Center’s Marlo Room and the lecture space of Oeschle Hall in an effort to return the dining venue to student use.
“There was a recognition that utilizing a student dining space for the Faculty meetings caused a monthly disruption to students,” Clerk of the Faculty Joshua Smith wrote in an email.
Historically, faculty meetings have taken place all over campus. The relocation to Marquis Hall was a COVID-era decision, when the faculty needed more physical space to gather.
“It’s very annoying,” Lauren Rossman ‘27 said. “I purposely chose my dorm to be close to Marquis, and it’s supposed to be a reliable place to get food. And when it closes randomly, it switches my whole plan.”
Kyle Lubanski ‘29, who called Marquis his “favorite place to eat on campus,” referred to the faculty’s scouting of a new location as “perfect,” and suggested Upper Farinon as an alternative.
The faculty has yet to decide where the new meeting location will be, though refreshments, typically offered before the meetings begin, may be one of the deciding factors.
“Colton Chapel is probably my favorite as it’s large enough to spread out and sit comfortably,” neuroscience professor Tamara Stawicki wrote in an email. Stawicki joined the faculty in 2017, when most meetings took place in Oeschle Hall, a space the group has since outgrown.
The chapel, however, necessitates that food and drink be served outside, a drawback in unfavorable weather.
“While I think that Colton Chapel adequately served the needs of the meeting, it is not convenient for the refreshments that are offered,” Smith wrote.
Oeschle Hall, meanwhile, requires faculty to cram into the tight rows of lecture hall seating, and the Marlo Room lacked tables at its Tuesday trial run.
“It’s like, ‘Where’s Waldo?’ but with faculty meetings,” college President Nicole Hurd said of the rotating sites.
