Wide Open Spaces and Plenty of Light Make Mather House Dining Hall a Perk

Deep within the concrete walls of Mather House lies one of the most beautiful dining halls on campus.

A wall of windows lines one side of the dining hall, offering views of the river that one might expect from a four-star restaurant.

"My mornings are not complete unless I sit in front of the window reading the New York Times and looking at the crew boats," says Ashley A. Dayer '01.

With high ceilings and lots of open space, the dining hall's physical structure also contributes to the House's sense of community.

"The best part of the dining hall is that you can see where everybody is," says Aadil T. Ginwala '00. He says the room is open and light whereas other dining halls are "crowded and dark."

Resident tutors frequently share meals in the hall with undergraduates, and the House also boasts a number of special theme tables, including a weekly Spanish table and a health policy table, which University Provost Harvey V. Fineberg '67 will speak at this week.

"After I graduate, I'll miss that there won't be this communal dining place where you can see people you haven't seen all day," Ginwala says.

Aside from its physical charm and feeling of community, the Mather House dining hall makes undergraduates feel at home through the antics of the House's youngest residents. Calder Jones and Katie Bodner both live with their resident tutor parents and spend time playing in the dining hall.

"I think it's one of the perks. It's like coming home. I think that makes a difference," says Vishal P. Grover '01.