The Den in the basement of Longden Hall served its last buffalo chicken wrap on Sunday night.
The Hoover Hall opening may mean students won’t have to walk all the way over to the Inn at DePauw, but it does mean the closing of the Den in its current form. Instead of serving hot food, the Den will be converted to a convenience store and a student organization space.
According to John Hecko, general manager of Bon Appetit, the Den was closed because DePauw University wants to establish a single communal dining area to bring the entire community to eat under one roof. “What better place to have conversation about life, things that make us the same, and also things that make us different, over the breaking of bread,” Hecko said.
Hecko said he knows students are disappointed about the Den closing, but he believes that if students walk through Hoover Hall they might be less disappointed. “Just because it’s a nice, clean, pristine building right now doesn’t mean it still can’t have its funk and that was what I always thought of the Den, as a funky space,” Hecko said.
Another reason for the closing of the Den, according to Hecko, was that the space was worn out and needed renovation. Even though food service at the Den will be stopping it will continue to work as a convenience store and a student organization space until March 25. At that point, it will completely shut down and the convenience store will move to the UB building where The Hub dining area used to be. The space in the UB building will serve as both a convenience store, a study space, and an area for student organizations to rent, meanwhile the Den will be closing for renovation.
Last fall, a student group was formed to decide what would happen to the Den as a result of both the food aspect and the convenience store aspect being relocated. “The Den is going to take more of a focus on first years; I call this the first-year family room,” said Dorian Shager, dean of campus life.
The student group came up with alternatives for the space such as using it as a meeting place for mentors, a possible social space with video gaming stations, and even a space for student businesses to have offices. Shager added that the student group also talked about having the healthy living move to Longden so that members could use the space. “That way the students who are non-drinkers and choose not to be rowdy have a space where they have easy access to, and it can be a home to them,” Shager said. The suggestions that the original student group proposed will be evaluated by a new student group composed of first-years.
Despite the new possibilities of what the Den could be, students are still disappointed they are losing a convenient food option. “I don’t appreciate the Den closing. For one, I live in Longden and it’s right there so I don’t have to go anywhere,” said first-year Amanda Chavez.
Hecko said he understands why students would be upset and doesn’t want to trivialize those inconvenienced or upset students. “It’s a space where people have staked claim to and they love that space, and I watch the camaraderie with those students with our staff and it’s a wonderful and beautiful thing,” Hecko said.
Hecko added that the same workers students were familiar with at the Den will now be working at Hoover Hall. “We’ve taken a lot of different concepts and we’ve sort of put them in a blender,” said Hecko about all of Hoover Hall’s new stations. The deli bar, for example, was modeled after the Den’s and is even being led by the same person who was in charge of the deli section at the Den.
Hecko reassured any upset students that although the Den is changing, it will continue to be part of DePauw. “The Den is not closing,” Hecko said. “Food will end at the Den, but the Den itself will continue to be an active and vibrant student activity center.”