Pencader Dining Hall in September 2006Opened in 1972, simultaneously with the Towers and the Pencader complex. Wow, it all makes sense. Both the dining hall and the Upper Deck were remodeled a bit in 1991, and then there were much more extensive renovations in 2003 -- hey, they put in all those gravity fed cereal dispensers! Oh, and the seating section that faced (the then still existing) Pencader A was dubbed “The Terrace.”
The Upper Deck had a nice long run -- for those of you who never knew it, it was fast food and take out, operating after the dining hall closed for the night. Fall of 1992 was the start of the Upper Deck delivery service; if you lived in the Towers, Ray Street, or Pencader, they’d bring it right to your door…yes, on points!
“Okay, so I was eating at Pencader, and I decided I loved the pink cafeteria chairs...so when we were finished with dinner, I picked up a pink chair and just walked out with it (while my friends were dying laughing and pretending not to know me), then walked all the way back to Prospect Street with it, where my car was parked by a friend’s house. I used that as my computer chair for the rest of college, and I still use it as my computer chair in my house. Haha! And believe it or not, I was sober at the time!”
- Jennie, UD '04
“Okay, Pencader Dining Hall wasn't all that great…but does anyone remember the gigantic TV they used to have in there? That's where I got my daily dose of The Simpsons.”
- Shavonne, UD '00
“This is what I remember about the Upper Deck: It was above the Pencader Dining Hall, only open for certain hours at night, and only served chicken. Fried chicken, chicken wings, and crispy chicken strips. Oh yes, and curly fries. Maybe there was biscuits or cornbread or something? Not the healthiest place to eat, but they took points. I think they may have been open late on Friday nights and they definitely delivered to the Towers. My friend and I would have a bucket of chicken, and wash it down with a couple of bottles of Boone's Farm. Now that's good eatin'!”
- Melissa, UD '94
“I was fortunate to live in Pencader my freshman, sophomore, and junior years, thusly I dined at the fine Pencader Dining Hall eatery. The food was great. Very large facility as I recall, and there seemed to be no shortage on food choices. I personally loved breakfast…Apple Jacks, baby! There used to be a bar / restaurant called ‘The Amber Lantern’ which was located at the bottom of Pencader Dining Hall. That was a great on-campus late-night food joint, plus we'd get pitchers of beer and watch episodes of Cheers on the big screen TV. And if we didn't have cash, no problem: just use your meal plan points! Pitchers of beer with your meal plan?! Yup!”
- Edward P, UD '93
The stuff of legend. BEER. On POINTS. Wrap your head around that, current UD kids. Yes, a university run student eatery that served alcohol, on meal plans. Well, sort of…
“I worked at the Amber Lantern, as well as being a banquet bartender for Clayton Hall. The Amber Lantern was on the lower level of the Clayton Hall complex. There was a heavy, dark oak door with a series of opaque, reticulated, colored-glass diamond-shaped windows. It was always slightly dark in there and Cheers always seemed to be playing on the drop-down projection TV.
There were sturdy, upright wooden booths lining opposing walls and tables scattered along the floor, each with knobby, wobbly wooden chairs. All of the wood, including the small bar, was dark and shellacked. The floor was a perpendicular alignment of 6' x 6' yellowish-brick-colored squares, while the walls -- internal and external -- were Tudor-inspired with criss-crossed wooden beams on a smooth stucco background.
The clientele was mainly made up of older students who were more laid back in their partying, although the occasional hellraisers made their way there…and each table had a candle, an ashtray, ketchup and mustard, and salt and pepper. Yes, these were the days when you could still smoke inside. Beer was indeed served there, but you were not permitted to put beer on your points plan. That, however, does not mean it wasn't done. I know this because I did it for my friends plenty of times.”
- Kevin F, UD '90
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