Westlawn Dining Hall — or, as you may know it, “the Rott,” — is gone. Despite its faults, “the Rott” was still a staple of the Goshen College experience. From the once-daily listen to “The Chain” by Girl Named Tom, to the ever-present admissions counselor, to the prospective student duo — the overall aura of “the Rott” was hard not to grow fond of. It’s safe to say that the food is what made you go, but the atmosphere was what kept you coming back.
Unfortunately, this part of GC’s student experience has been put on pause. Due to Westlawn renovations spanning the coming year and a half, the dining hall has found a new home in the Union Building. This new cafeteria lives in the coffin of the Leaf Raker and has logically been nicknamed “the Frott.”With the space in the Union being drastically different, many wonder if this change of location would take away the “butterflies” that students had after eating at Westlawn. However, fifth year Jackson Steinmetz, owner of a 4:28 mile, offers some optimism: “The Frott offers a sleeker version of a familiar experience.”
All this leads to the most important part: the actual dining experience. Like always, when entering the dining hall you must choose whether you want to use a precious meal swipe on the day’s dining options. But once you overcome all moral dilemmas, it’s smooth sailing. To people’s surprise, many of the key dining aspects of the old cafeteria have also found their way into the Frott! From the highly desired avocado basket, to the ever-present Cheerios dispenser and familiar faces cooking up food, the Frott is much more homey than one might expect.
On top of the cuisine options, the Frott also offers a number of seating options. Of course, all of the old Leaf Raker options still remain, but now there’s a sea of new tables and chairs across the first floor of the Union to choose from. In just about every nook and cranny, you are now able to find a seat to devour your grub of choice.
When asked about the new dining options, 3rd year transfer Charlie Aldrich, owner of a 4:29 mile, wondered “what even is the Frott?”
In summary, the union will never be what Westlawn was. However, enjoying a meal at the Frott reminds you that it was never really about where you were eating; it was about the friends you made along the way.
