Being a senior, I remember when the Grill was called the Underground and it looked like a sketchy, back-alley bar with dim lights and one huge, fuzzy, big-screen television. Since then, the Grill has certainly improved with its remodeled look and expanded menu.And now changes at the Grill are here again.

The Grill has made positive accommodations that keep the students’ interests in mind. The menu has two new burgers, improved smoothie options, and more employees. The Grill presently is a hundred times better than what it was three, even two years ago.

That being said, the Grill does not make pizza anymore because of the addition of the Quakeria. The Grill also discontinued the hot counter, where all hot foods were made.

This includes the pulled chicken, rice and beans, nacho cheese, ground beef, and grilled vegetables. To the students’ dismay, the burrito bar was also decommissioned. This was the station that made one of the most popular items – the burrito bowl.

“Everyone enjoyed it,” said senior Erin Horner. “It was silly to take it away.”

Even Grill employees agree about the burritos: “I love that the burrito bar is gone because it makes clean-up so much easier,” said Grill employee John McAllister. “But the students feel like they are losing out because it’s gone.”

Last week, I strolled into the Grill looking to get my usual chicken tenders for the first time this year and was shocked when my options for sides were chips or fruit, instead of their delicious fries.

Immediately I thought, what happened to the fries? Currently, fries do not come as a side with a meal anymore. Now, fries are not included on a meal plan, they can only be purchased with Quaker or real cash.

“Upper-class students seemed to count on the fries,” said McAllister. “They are disappointed by the fact that fries are not a side anymore.”

The removal of fries and the absence of the burrito bar are just a couple of major changes students are seeing at the Grill this year.

Unfortunately, the absence of fries was not the first thing I noticed. The first thing I sensed was the horrible stench emitting from where the Grill stands.

“The smell was so bad that it made me want to hold my nose and throw up,” said senior Robbie Otto.

The smell, caused by a mishap with a sewage pipeline, is only part of the problem. I had a Grill employee tell me the harsh scent from the construction and the by-products from the work on the new Quakeria had been making her sick. Thankfully, these negative issues are only temporary.

Yes, the Grill has improved since its days as the Underground. In spite of this, I feel there is still a long way to go before students and staff are happy.