Among the many improvements made to the Samford Cafeteria over the summer, the omelet station camera has added to the student dining experience in its own unique way. Providing a perspective capturing the chef’s skills, the camera records live footage of the omelet preparation. The video then gets streamed to TVs situated nearby in the upper University Center. The omelet camera, while frivolous, provides students and staff with an unexpected moment of joy in their day.
This year, Samford has made many adjustments to their main dining establishment. Throughout the summer and the start of the fall semester, the Caf underwent a 20,000 square foot renovation. This project cost $10 million. It included not only the Caf, but several restrooms and the adjacent Howard Room, all housed in the upper University Center.
The heart behind the transformation was to create a better space for community in an area Samford values greatly. Jeff Poleshek, assistant vice president for operations, planning and construction, shared this sentiment while describing the process.
“We have recreated the dining experience at Samford. It is really now a food hall—a place and space where people can gather and enjoy each other’s time and company,” Poleshek said.
The Caf now includes many elements such as cushioned seating and a mechanical rotating dish drop off. These improvements have been put in place to add ease to daily campus life for Samford staff and students. It has created more space for students to relax and enjoy one another’s company, while also making the work atmosphere more enjoyable for staff.
Architecture and interior design play a big role in people’s overall moods, and Samford played into that well. Both the new seating and the improved systems for getting food create a more relaxed and joyful atmosphere. Even small additions, such as the omelet camera, add to the anomaly that Samford University is.
These additions seem to be fulfilling the purpose for which they were created.
In a survey about the renovations that went out to students, one shared,
“It’s modern, but true to Samford. It’s big enough not where I feel as if I’m not missing out on a ‘caf experience,’ like being at a major state school, but it’s small enough to where I feel as if I can still make lasting and meaningful connections.”
There aren’t many better ways to describe the quirkiness of the omelet camera than “modern, but true to Samford.”
While the omelet camera is not an essential part of our campus culture and atmosphere, I believe students can appreciate it as a bit of comedic relief in the midst of the chaos of everyday college life. It bridges the gap between staff and students as something that we can all laugh at, while appreciating the skills of our lovely chefs.
Staff Writer
