The new Bear’s Den offers a variety of ingredients for stir fry.

The new facility is adorned with comfortable chairs, flat screen TV menus and state-of-the-art kitchens.

Student response has been positive, with Bear’s Den becoming a typical meeting place for freshmen and sophomores.

Only upperclassmen seem disgruntled by the fact that freshmen live in a “Disney theme park,” as some people call it. Nevertheless, they are pleased that they are exposed to more food choices.

The student body was actively involved in designing Bear’s Den. The students have contributed to naming other food stations and planning the menus.

“It might get a little boring for the students to have food from the same place every day, but we try to do different things,” Nadeem Siddiqui, the resident district manager of Bon Appétit, said.

For example, the Mongolian grill turns into an omelet bar on Saturday and Sunday. The ingredients in the food are made from scratch.

Senior Andrea Temkin says that she likes the food here and finds prices reasonable. Junior Martin Ruiz De la Prada, an exchange student, thinks that the items are affordable and fall in a reasonable price range, except for the items in the salad bar, which he finds a little expensive.

Though some students may find the food at Bear’s Den to be overpriced and over-flavored, Siddiqui thinks that the facility that the students are getting is unique.

Due to the late opening hours and so many food stations under one roof, the students might have to pay a little more than they expected.

Siddiqui noted that the food at the University is cheaper than the food in schools like Harvard, Yale, Cornell and Stanford.

The workers appreciate the new changes as well. Chef Anthony Redden, who works in the production kitchen and is involved with all the stations, is satisfied with his job for many reasons.

“It’s fun working here because we got a unique group of people from different nationalities. It’s a tightly knit family. Everybody gets along,” Redden said.

He said that the new facilities in Bear’s Den make work much easier and more organized.

Many wonder why the school needs such an elaborate dining facility, with foods from around the world and unique flavors.

“Bear’s Den has a community center kind of feeling to it,” Redden said.

He said the comfortable ambiance in Bear’s Den inspires students to do what they want to do, whether it is continuing a heated discussion with peers about studies or just hanging out with friends.

Siddiqui sees Bear’s Den as an integral part in a residential campus that projects learning and living.