A photograph of Springfield College's Cheney dining hall at nighttime with the lights displayed throughout the portico. There are students visible inside the dining hall eating. Cheney Hall opened on April 1, 1968, replacing the existing cafeteria, Woods Hall, and increasing the serving capacity from 300 to 800 per sitting. The new facility was dedicated on June 15, 1968 to Ralph L. Cheney, class of 1901, and R. William Cheney, class of 1933, a father and son who were very influential at Springfield College. The 26,500 sq. ft. facility has a semi-circular wall curving outward at the front, which adds 45’ of depth to the building. Originally the building included a covered portico following this curve, which provided shade and shelter to students; however, in 2005 the portico was enclosed for extra seating. In addition, there are two separate and smaller dining areas, which can seat up to 110 extra people. Today, these rooms are called Cheney rooms A & B and are used by faculty and staff to hold special functions. In an attempt to keep up with other colleges, Springfield College and Aramark, the school’s food service company, made renovations to the dining hall in 2004. These changes included a more expansive seating area with two different levels of seating and various stations with different types of food. The renovations also allowed students to pay for a meal upon entry and eat as little, or as much, as desired.
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