With West Lawn dining reopened,  the Leaf Raker has been able to return to its intended duties.  Ben Bontrager, vice president of finance and operations, explained, “The Leaf Raker offered a nice complement to Westlawn dining with great sandwich options off the grill, smoked meats prepared in-house by our own Jeremy Corson, and an assortment of other ‘comfort’ foods prepared to order.”  He also shared that it is a good quick service option as students are able to place orders and take their food to go. Additionally, the Leaf Raker serves coffee, Bontrager shared. “The Leaf Raker was also a...

By Annabelle Bartz • November 20, 2024 • News

Editor’s note, published Sept. 14, 2023: After reviewing the article last week on the Westlawn renovation, we would like to add some context and update the language used. Referring to the $7 million as “unaccounted for” was imprecise, and the subhead that described the funding as “missing” was a poor word choice — “fundraising is currently short $7 million” would have been more accurate. The fact that the project is two-thirds funded was not common knowledge before The Record’s article, and that information is newsworthy and merits prominence.  More context is required, though: It is President Stoltzfus’s “confident goal” that...

By Phil Witmer-Rich • September 8, 2023 • News

Westlawn Dining Hall hadn’t felt quite the same the past few weeks. Its usual round tables were replaced by long, rectangular tables, shrouded in cheap, purple plastic tablecloths — the kind that are fun to make holes in at birthday parties. The juice machine was gone, replaced by large see-through coolers that had to be filled with ice to keep the juice cold. Just like its orange juice, Westlawn had become a bit watered down. Red tape labeled “danger” lined the street and Kulp entrances. A few electrical cords hung from the wall. The artwork hanging over the fireplace had...

By Tyson Miller • September 8, 2023 • Features

When the clock hits 1:15 p.m., the Leaf Raker cafe descends into chaos with a queue of students rushing to get their “meal replacement” of a cheeseburger or a quesadilla.  Through all the hubbub, a voice rings out from behind the counter, calling students’ names as their food is ready. That voice is often the one of Candace Sheley — or, as she’s known to many on campus, Candy. “I started working here three years ago,” Sheley says. “I was a stay-at-home mom, and then … I got bored! So I started here.” Seniors may remember when Sheley worked at...

By Daniel James • January 26, 2023 • Features