Dear D-Hall,
No one thought that it would ever happen, but alas, it is your final week on campus. Students everywhere are faced with the nostalgia of what is soon to be a JMU legacy. From your grilled cheese Thursdays, your Buffalo Mash Special, and your weekend brunches, you will be missed. You have always been there for us, D-Hall. For many, we ate our first JMU meal there using our free meal voucher after our tour. And now, when we are official students, nothing has changed. You have seen us on late nights, eating half of our body weight in pizza, and you have seen us on *not so* early mornings, to help us fully recover from a night out. But, regardless of whether or not we did eat every dish you offered or showed up in our pajamas, you were there for us, with the man at the pre-made sandwich counter happily awaiting a friendly conversation. D-Hall, you are the reason that on so many Saturdays I did not get as much homework done as I should have. Somehow, minutes turn into hours quicker than normal there - especially when my friends and I grab brunch with the intent to run to Carrier afterwards.
It would be foolish of me too, to neglect how well you clean up for special occasions. If literally anyone important was going to be on campus that weekend – parents, alumni, or even ESPN, you always knew how to deliver. I mean for real, lobster tails? You outdid yourself, there. And let’s not forget snowstorms. I knew that even if I-81 couldn’t handle the snow, that your big, glass doors would still welcome me to some hot tator-tots every morning. And remember, the world will always have critics who try to tell you that E-Hall is better. But their words soon become invalid as they go up for their fifth bowl of ice-cream. True fans can appreciate an establishment seasoned with years of experience and with walls that hold memories so fond that it is not uncommon to see young alumni enjoying a brunch with their now-old-college friends, and yelling children by their sides. Yet, you know how to change with time. By offering specialty food like gluten-free products, and adding menu-items like turkey burgers, you know how to keep us on our feet, and simultaneously feel at home. Not to mention that your location is prime, a claim that E-Hall will never be able to confidently make.
But, sadly, D-Hall, the time has come and there is nothing I can do. I just hope that you know that no hutch, hut, or hub will ever be able to replace you.
So, good bye D-Hall, and I hope that one day your dessert bar and I meet again.
Sincerely,
A D-Hall Enthusiast
