While everyone was home for the summer, Behrend Housing and Food Services was busy getting the new food truck, the Behrend Clipper, ready for first week of classes and updating the various dorms and suites on campus. There have also been several changes to Dobbins Dining, including the elimination of trays.

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The Behrend Clipper is the first food truck to be operated by Penn State at any of the campuses. This gave Behrend a unique opportunity when deciding how to approach how the Clipper is done, including the menu, location and design. Mike Lindner, Director of Housing and Food Services at Behrend, took full advantage of this.

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“We did not want to duplicate what we served anywhere else,” said Lindner in a recent interview. “We have a lot of very unique things that are only offered on the truck.” The Clipper has a core breakfast and lunch menu and will be starting the rotational menu that changes about every three days. The truck currently goes to four different locations: the north side of Ohio Hall, the north side of Perry Hall, outside of the Science Complex and on Technology drive near the REDC parking deck.

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The visual design of the truck is also unique to Behrend. To avoid issues with copyright, the art for the Clipper was done internally. The look for the truck could have represented Penn State, but the decision was made to create an Erie oriented design.

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In addition to the food truck, many of the dorms and suites were updated over the summer. All of the lounge and study furniture in Ohio Hall was replaced, as were the carpet and flooring in Senat Hall. All 501 wooden doors in the suites were refinished, a keyless system was installed, and all of the vanities and sinks were replaced. Porcupine received a change from the standard Penn State bedroom furniture. The entire heating system in Almy was replaced since the old system was 20 years old. Perry Hall got some new lobby furniture, and both Perry and Lawrence had new study spaces added using existing underutilized space. Although students may not have noticed, this was a large undertaking by the Housing and Food Services department.

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There have also been some changes to Dobbins Dining. The most notable is the decision, which came from University Park, to eliminate the use of trays.

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“Honestly, the trayless is the best idea we’ve ever had,” said Shannon Steves, a senior Environmental Science major and a food service employee. Although he was skeptical at first, Steves admitted that the change has saved a significant amount of food, water and energy. “People get a tray, they fill it with 50 different items, eat one of those things and throw the rest of it away. And we are also responsible for washing that tray and all the extra dishes they did not use.” The new system has made people take less items since they have to carry them instead of loading them all onto a tray.

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Within the next few weeks, Dobbins Dining will roll out a few more changes, including a dinner that highlights the new cultivators and the community gardens on campus. The “Dig it” dinner at Dobbins will be on Tuesday, September 12 from 4:30 to 7 p.m.