The renovation of Vernon F. Galliano Cafeteria is scheduled to start Dec. 1 and to be completed by fall 2007, according to Mike Davis, assistant vice president of administration. Davis said the cafeteria will still be in use during the renovation. The cafeteria has been separated into sections, and while one half is being renovated, students will be able to use the other area.

“There will be some inconveniences,” Davis said.

Plans for the new cafeteria include a floor plan with semi-private booths around the tables in the center of the dining area, Davis said.

Davis said the entrance to the cafeteria will direct students around the dining area, rather than through it and will be blocked by the back of the booths on the left side, which are 5 to 6 feet tall. There will also be booths on the right side, but those will be shorter, he said.

Specialized serving areas will replace the one line walk-though the cafeteria has now, Davis said. Each serving area will have its own theme, such as a grill, a pasta station, a sandwich booth, a pizza area, a Euro-kitchen and a salad bar, Davis said.

There will also be more beverage stations throughout the dining area to increase convenience for the students, Davis said.

New lighting, such as hanging lights and spotlights, will replace the florescent lights in order to increase the lighting in the cafeteria, Davis said. There will also be new furniture, such as tables and cushioned chairs, he said.

Megan McGee, freshman from Raceland, said renovating the cafeteria would have a positive effect on the campus.

“I think the improvements will attract more students to eat on campus,” McGee said.

Katie Meyer, art senior from Houma, said the atmosphere in the cafeteria needs improvement.

“The lighting is too dark, and privacy is limited,” Meyer said.

The outside of the cafeteria will be extended to the sidewalk, Davis said. There will be a patio with covered seating for students to sit and congregate, he said. A covered walkway connecting the cafeteria to the Bollinger Memorial Student Union will also be added to the patio, Davis said.

The newly designed cafeteria will still accommodate the same amount of students, according to Brenda Haskins, executive director of auxiliary services.

“In the end, I think the students will be very pleased,” Davis said.

The reconstruction will cost approximately $5 million for construction, $1 million for new kitchen equipment and $100,000 for new furniture, Davis said.

The funding for the renovation of the cafeteria is coming from the auxiliary services budget, Haskins said.