Signs were posted outside of Usdan Student Center on Monday, Oct. 11, saying that the Lower Usdan Dining Hall, the Hoot Market and the game room would be closed for the day, according to photos obtained by The Brandeis Hoot.
“Please be advised that Usdan Dining Hall and a section of the Hoot Market are currently closed as repairs are being made to the ceiling above the space,” read an email sent by Brandeis University Services on Oct. 14.
A sign posted in Usdan noted that the closure was “due to Non-Covid related issues,” according to photos obtained by The Hoot. On Oct. 11 students were restricted from walking through Lower Usdan near the Lower Usdan Dining Hall, the Game Room and Hoot Market.
“Please dine with us in Sherman Hall or Upper Usdan. We are sorry for the inconvenience,” read the signs posted on Oct 11.
On Oct. 12, students were allowed to walk through Lower Usdan and could use the Hoot Market. However, the Game Room and Lower Usdan Dining Hall remained closed, according to photos obtained by The Hoot. New signs were posted on columns outside of the entrance to the Lower Usdan Dining Hall.
“Due to Non-Covid related issues … Lower Usdan Dining Hall will be closed until further notice. The Levin Ballroom, on the second floor of this building, will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You are also welcome to dine with us in Sherman Hall, Upper Usdan and the Stein (revised hours of operation). We are sorry for the inconvenience,” read the signs outside of the dining hall.
The Hoot Market reopened on Oct. 12, though students are restricted from using the back refrigeration section of the store. According to photos from The Hoot, shelves have been positioned to prevent students from going to the back wall of the market, and merchandise from the back section has been moved towards the front of the store. Parts of the store have been roped off with caution tape to prevent students from entering, according to photos obtained by The Hoot.
To accommodate for the loss of Lower Usdan until further notice, the university has set up a Usdan Dining Service in Levin Ballroom, on the other side of the Usdan courtyard, according to a sign posted on the outside of Usdan Student Center.
“Alternative dining locations and seating areas have been set up to help serve the needs of our community. Additionally, staffing levels have been increased at other locations to help accommodate for larger crowds than normal,” according to the email.
The hours of operation for the Levin Ballroom dining location are breakfast from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., lunch from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., according to a sign posted on the outside of Usdan Student Center. In the email sent by Brandeis University Services, they updated the community about the alternative dining locations for students. Levin Ballroom will be closed on Friday, Oct. 15 but will be opened Friday, Oct. 22 for breakfast from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., and lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. but will be closed for dinner, according to the email.
The university has also adjusted The Stein’s hours, to offer another dining option to students in place of Lower Usdan Dining Hall, according to a sign posted in Usdan Student Center. According to the Branda app, the Stein is open from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. whereas their previous hours of operation listed on their website were 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. Thursday through Sunday. According to the email sent by dining services, The Stein will be open Mondays through Wednesdays for lunch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and dinner from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. It will also be opened on Thursday and Fridays for lunch and dinner but with adjusted hours. For lunch The Stein will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and for dinner it will be open for normal Stein hours, which are from 4 p.m. from 12 a.m., according to the email.
The Hoot reached out to the Resident Dining Manager for Lower Usdan Dining Hall but did not receive a response to the questions by the time of publication.
