The Iowa State dining facility previously known as Seasons is now Richardson Court Marketplace. This dining center is located in Richardson Court, home to the Maple, Willow and Larch residential halls. The name change reflects ISU Dining’s decision to strengthen its relationship with other dining locations and residential communities.
Jeanne Oreschnick, a junior studying meteorology, explained her perspective on the reasoning behind the name change.
“I see the name change as a matter of easier identification rather than a significant change to the dining facility itself,” Oreschnick said. “Several other dining halls are named after the residential communities they serve; renaming Seasons to reflect its surrounding area will help create a greater consistency across campus.”
While the name change may provide greater consistency across campus, the dining hall has also become more than just a location identified by its surrounding community. For many students, Seasons has served as a place where they can build relationships, see familiar faces and feel a sense of community.
Marissa Montesinos, a junior studying animal science, described how the dining hall helped her feel connected to ISU.
“I think the dining hall fosters a community that can help freshmen find their place because it allows us to connect despite our busy schedules,” Montesinos said. “Seeing friends from class or from my dorm made it more real that I was at a place away from home, but Season’s was that home away from home.”
Richardson Court Marketplace has several other changes besides the new name. The dining center has added new features and improvements to create a better experience for students.
One of the biggest additions to the dining center is a dedicated special dietary pantry (SDP).
This SDP is unrestricted, meaning all students with a meal plan may use it without having to submit a formal medical document to Student Accessibility Services. The SDP will have food that does not initially contain any of the top nine food allergens or gluten.
The pantry is designed to make finding safe food options easier for students with dietary restrictions. Oreschnick explained the addition will help make the dining experience more accessible and convenient for more students.
“It is nice that students can use the pantry without having to go through an extra process or provide additional documentation,” Oreschnick said. “I think it makes the dining experience less stressful and gives students more freedom to find food that works for their individual needs.”