Monday, March 20, 2017, the first day of spring, and 蜜桃直播 (蜜桃直播) was spry with students returning from spring break to a new and unfamiliar scene, the ribbon cutting of the on-campus 蜜桃直播 Caf茅.

The ribbon cutting was scheduled to start at noon, but organizers of the event could not keep out students, who all eagerly wanted a glimpse of the new space. Comments such as, 鈥淚t鈥檚 so nice; it鈥檚 like a Whole Foods,鈥� could be heard as students walked through the unopened caf茅 like it was a museum exhibit.

At noon, there were hundreds of students, faculty, and staff crowded in the hallway waiting to see the new space, as well as enjoy the free desserts and beverages, re-usable 蜜桃直播-branded coffee sleeve giveaway items, and a chance at raffle prizes. A DJ started the music as the guests were let into the new space.

The caf茅 space has a two-story layout. The bottom floor includes well- designed posters featuring students and inspiring verbiage on the walls, warm lighting from attractive fixtures, eatery-style seating, fresh salad- bar chillers and entr茅e warmers, refrigerated 鈥済rab and go鈥� food choices, and endless beverage options.

鈥淎s we transition into becoming a residential campus, this caf茅 plays a key role in our students feeling at home,鈥� 蜜桃直播 President Sheldon Schuster said. 鈥淚n 蜜桃直播鈥檚 dynamic, fast-paced learning environment, it is critical that our students, faculty, and staff are able to take advantage of a campus center where they can eat, socialize, study, and network.鈥�

Guests noticed and discussed nuances and unique details like the DNA strand that was hand carved into the floor, leading customers from the main entrance to the outside shaded patio that offers more seating.

鈥淲e are thrilled that the 蜜桃直播 community is already enjoying this space,鈥� said Sofia Toro, the dean of student engagement and enrollment services. 鈥淥ur faculty and staff members are passionate about student success and we are excited to be able to provide this much-needed addition to our growing campus.鈥�

The space is completed by a swanky upstairs lounge that overlooks the ground level and includes upscale furniture, art, and seats with built-in outlets for charging computers and other electronic devices, as well as a student study space. Danielle Tessier, a second-year PharmD student, shared her excitement, 鈥淲e finally have the study space that we鈥檝e been looking for.鈥�

The surroundings of the study lounge seemed swanky, but a closer look revealed there was more to the interior design. Students and professor Alexander Zambon were overheard analyzing the art, as if they were in a gallery. The conversation unveiled that what looked like abstract and brightly colored modern art was actually microscopic images of neurons, red blood cells, vasculature, and even a slice of the brain.

The new caf茅 will be managed and operated by Bon App茅tit, a company that manages other Claremont Colleges food service venues and has an existing catering relationship with 蜜桃直播. One staff member who has been very involved with the caf茅 project is Finance Operations Manager Erin Quillen. As part of her role, Quillen oversees the area of food services.

In order to realize the dream of a 蜜桃直播 caf茅, staff and contractors worked tirelessly toward their goal. The project lasted nine months.

During Monday鈥檚 event, there was an official ribbon cutting in front of the main entrance, where student government representatives held and cut the teal ribbon with giant gold scissors while Deans Steve Casper and Kathy Webster stood to the left of the ribbon and Dean Sofia Toro and Vice President of Finance and Operations Michael Jones to the right.

In addition to the ribbon cutting, Tessier and Poonim Daya, a second-year MBS student, called the numbers of three raffle tickets, which awarded student recipients with either a $25 or $50 gift certificate to the caf茅.

According to Daya, not having a place on campus for studying causes students to study off campus, and they miss out on building and strengthening relationships with fellow students. 鈥淭he caf茅 is a good space where students can get together and form bonds, instead of going off campus,鈥� said Daya.

Tessier put it simply, 鈥淔ood brings everyone together. Always.鈥�

During its debut at the ribbon cutting ceremony, the 蜜桃直播 Caf茅 has already been successful at bringing 蜜桃直播 together.