Hidden in Herzberg

The Oval Café

By Kristina Lebel (Contributor)

Food, friends, wifi, and more food – located in the basement of Herzberg, The Oval, our campus café, was just reopened last semester after being closed for renovations. The Oval goes back to when Herzberg was first built, along with the tunnels connecting it to the Brittain building. The tunnels are now closed after unfortunate crimes that took place inside and a fire burning the inside of the Brittain building leaving it abandoned. Nevertheless, The Oval is now open and ready for business.

In case you’re wondering, The Oval is just another form of the cafeteria or the Munch Box – just not as widely known. The food, however, should be just as famous as Abbott’s poutines. Which leads to the great fact that none of the high school kids from Mac know about The Oval – so you won’t be running into a 13 year old while getting some food. The Oval has got Mexican quesadillas, Jamaican patties, and even pizza pockets! Though none of their foods serve as a full meal and usually consists of giving away that spare change that’s been in your pocket a week, the food is just as good for a little snack to keep your brain going during that last minute study session.

But the best part – The Oval has got the best wifi on campus, and if that doesn’t tempt you to go visit it then I don’t know what will. After opening, The Oval has become a place where friends come to do research on their laptops, online gaming, or even skyping with your significant other who lives a continent away. The Oval has a really long brick wall on one side with benches lined up against it. To go along with the benches, we’ve got the never ending amount of tables. You literally can’t walk without running into a table. Along with the tables we’ve got those red chairs that distract you from your conversation. There are windows on two walls – one wall has windows facing the outdoors so we get to watch those infamous Abbott squirrels running around. The second wall has windows facing the hallway with the clubrooms so we get to watch Abbott kids walk into their preferred clubrooms.

The Oval also provides for a place to meet people – most of which contain people in clubs because it’s right beside the clubrooms. The people in The Oval are usually from CALL, social sciences, or even liberal arts – though there is the occasional science kid that you see studying…though not many because they usually decide to study in that fancy new building of theirs.

But before The Oval became The Oval, it was a hole in the wall – no one knew if it was going to end up The Oval or forgotten like the Brittain building. Luckily for the new Abbott students, they don’t have to worry because it’s there and ready for them.