SGA outlines dining hall improvements, introduces GSO support resolution
SGA discusses a new dining hall located on Waverly Avenue, able to seat 500 students. Charlie Hynes | Staff Photographer
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UPDATE: This story was updated on Feb. 10, 2026 at 1:39 p.m.
Representatives from Syracuse University’s Campus Dining outlined recent improvements to student dining at Monday’s regular Student Government Association meeting.
Interim Director of Campus Dining Carrie Frobe and Executive Chef Rick Leonardo touted new product offerings, the upcoming openings of new campus dining halls and environmentally-sustainable vendor partnerships.
Frobe and Leonardo also discussed the new dining center on Waverly Avenue, notably the site of extensive construction. The new center will become the largest on campus — able to seat 500 students.
This marks the seventh dining hall to open on SU’s main campus, and will be located close to on-campus dorms, Greek life houses and Bird Library. The Waverly Avenue dining center will open in Fall 2027, Frobe said.
The dining executives also highlighted the university’s partnership with Spare Food Co., an environmentally-focused food service company that provides “spare” burgers seen at Ernie Davis and Orange Hall dining centers.
The burgers consist of 70% beef and 30% surplus vegetables, where a taster “can’t tell the difference” between these patties and an all-beef burger, Frobe said. Spare Food Co. highlights the product on their website as a way to minimize the negative impact of animal protein on the environment.
New products including sushi and poke bowls, as well as Chobani yogurt and dairy products are also “selling out like no other” at retail dining centers like Schine Student Center, Frobe said.
Leonardo said SU Dining Services underwent “a shift in focus” running its dining halls since Frobe was named interim director last year, where facilities are now overseen by a chef rather than a manager.
This shift aims to center experiences on taste and quality, Leonardo said. It will also lead to improvements this semester including a larger menu size and hosting various food options.
Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Max Lachut also introduced a resolution in support of SU’s Graduate Student Organization to have “meaningful, democratic” representation for graduate students.
The university and GSO have been in conflict since SU deregistered GSO as a registered student organization last spring, after it declared their independence from the school due to increased administrative oversight.
In total, funds from the activity fees paid by graduate students are unutilized and stand at around $500,000, Lachut said. However, an SU spokesperson clarified Tuesday that these funds are distributed by SU’s Graduate School and are being used directly on students rather than supporting a handful of stipends for GSO leaders.
Lachut emphasized members should familiarize themselves with the issue and perspectives, as the assembly will vote on the resolution next week.
Other business
- SGA members elected Mason Burley as a new Board of Elections commissioner.
- A prospective report on the state of Greek life on campus will be compiled with its benefits and potential improvements, according to a report from Vice President of University Affairs Asher Gonzalez.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article included a sentence where Lachut claimed the university’s money raised from graduate student activity fees remains “in limbo” as long as there is no organization to distribute the funds to. Lachut’s claim was incorrect. The funds are dispersed by SU’s Graduate School. The Daily Orange regrets this error.
