New Southside Dining Facility Opens on Campus

Story by Broadside Assistant News Editor Sonya Hudson. Photo by Photography Editor Courtney Erland.

Southside is now open to all students, faculty and staff. Southside has replaced Ciao Hall as the all-you-can-eat style dining on campus. This dining facility, located behind Student Union Building II on the second floor of Southside Hall in the general Chesapeake Area, offers students six stations of variety and freshly made food.

Each station provides the George Mason University community with different tastes and experiences. One of the first stations, “Without Boundaries,” provides international cuisine. “Changing Colors,” also near the front, provides a large salad bar. “4400 Grill” provides grilled food, such as hot sandwiches and burgers. “Pasta Amore” is filled with freshly made pasta and thin-crust wheat pizza. “Wrapped Up” has deli sandwiches and wraps. “After All” offers baked pastries, desserts such as donuts, cookies and cupcakes.

In the pre-opening and dedication of Southside on Friday afternoon, Student Body President Zack Golden, President Alan Merten and Assistant Vice President for University Services Mark Kraner spoke highly of Southside.

Golden impressed upon those present that Southside is a representation of Mason values and success. He said that the facility shows innovation, through its unique sustainability measures, diversity in regard to food choices, and location, as a place for all students, faculty and staff.

President Merten thanked faculty, staff and students for helping celebrate the opening of Southside. Merten said that Southside is a functional, elegant and sustainable representation of Mason.

Kraner ended the short celebration by welcoming Southside to Mason. Students who attended the pre-opening enjoyed all aspects of Southside.

Southside provides many different seating options throughout the facility. Booths, tables and high tables allow many different group sizes to sit comfortably. Students favored the seating options as well as the food choices.

“The food is a lot better than I expected, a lot better than Ciao,” said Matt Palazzo, a sophomore government and international politics major. Though Palazzo found the plates to be awkwardly shaped, he found the food to be delicious.

Nicole Kukuruda, a senior majoring in government and international politics and a member of Student Government, found the layout and the size of the plates brilliant. The salad bar is near the front and small plates allot small portions. “This encourages conscience eating and people making healthy decisions,” said Kukuruda.

“The smaller portions encourage people to try new things,” said junior Ravi Udeshi, a member of Student Government.

Southside intentionally has smaller plates and no trays to reduce waste.

Junior Keegan Luczak, a Student Government member majoring in computer science, does not see the lack of trays as a problem. The lack of trays will “encourage people to get less food and not waste as much,” said senior IT major Andrew Kantner.

Southside has magnificent windows on almost all sides. Regarding the view, several students commented, “The view would be better if it wasn’t facing the back of buildings,” said junior Jake Szewczyk, an administration of justice major.

Kantner thought the view would benefit with added shrubbery and flowers. “It’s breathtaking,” said Kukuruda.

Southside costs a little less than $8 or one meal plan for an all-you-can-eat menu. Southside will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Monday to Friday. On Saturday and Sunday Southside will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.