Chapter 18:

 

THE SCROUNGE

Inside neon sign (really?), September 2006Ya’ can’t get more UD than the Scrounge, right? Probably because of the name. EVERYBODY knows the Scrounge, throughout the known universe. Someday, aliens will visit Earth, and when they tour Delaware and see the Scrounge, they’ll be like, “Dude, we heard about this place!”

 

Let me ask you a question: Do you think I’m high as I write this? I just re-read the paragraph above, and came to that conclusion. I think it’s just fatigue.

 

Okay, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, the Scrounge. Now, when I attended UD (pre-Trabant), if you wanted fast food on points, you hauled your Freshman 15 to the Scrounge...which we did do on occasion from Dickinson.

 

But when I started UD, I had no idea how new the Scrounge was. At least, the Scrounge we knew. You probably know that the Scrounge originally existed as a café type place, in the basement of Memorial Hall, which was then used as the library. Later on, it shifted to the Perkins Student Center, but not what you think. Let me try to explain this, so it’ll make sense to you more recent kids…

 

When I started UD in Fall of '91, the Scrounge set-up was very similar to how it exists today. Food lines and registers in the front right corner, if you’re walking in facing the building. Very close to how it is now. However, in the far BACK right corner, there was something kinda hidden. It was another place to get food, and it be…

 

The Center Court. Which served higher quality food, a la carte entrees and stuff. It was slide-your-tray-along-the-rails-and-get-your-food-until-you-got-to-the-register style. The Center Court opened in 1990, and had previously been used as the Student Center cafeteria. Wait, what?! Yes, there used to basically be a dining hall in Perkins. Co-existing with it was the OLD (and minimal) Scrounge, the Grab 'n' Go (later moved), and a candy counter.

 

Summer of '89 was when UD spent $750,000 on the NEW expanded Scrounge, as they shut down the Student Center cafeteria (to become the Center Court a year later). Students soon dubbed it the “McScrounge,” and the result of the modernization? It was PACKED. Ridiculous lines. The 1991 statistic was that the Scrounge was serving 4000 customers a day. Okay, from here I’ll try to explain it all sequentially…

 

1993 - 1994, there was a lot of retooling of the offerings of both the Scrounge and Center Court. Remember, this was the time when Harrington Dining Hall was gone and the Abbey shut (more about that, next chapter) to make way for the still to-be-built Trabant. The Scrounge was apparently more crowded than ever at this point.

 

To appease students, the Scrounge added more registers and introduced its “UnDer $1” menu, as well as (da duh dummmm) the BIG GRILLE! Which they advertised a lot in The Review. This was also when they put in the Baskin-Robbins, which replaced the Grab 'n' Go’s spot.

 

The Center Court, originally points only, started to accept meals as well. They added cheesesteaks and beach fries to their menu (because the Beach was right out back…get it?) But then the Center Court became you had to use a meal (I think) during Winter Session '94, because Kent was closed…but THEN in Fall of 1994, it reverted back to all points, no meals! Yep, students got a bit pissed with the seemingly endless policy changes.

 

Center Court, R.I.P. February, 1997 was when it was officially killed, as part of some renovation work in Perkins, setting the stage for…

 

The NEW new Scrounge. 1998. This was a pretty significant overhaul, in that the McDonald’s-esque booths and tables were modified, to give the place a more comfortable feel. Wasn’t so “plastic” anymore. The room was even split up a bit, so some sections were lounge-like. As for food, they expanded the salad bar, doubled the Leghorn's Rotisserie Chicken, and kept the Easy-Goes Sandwiches, Itza Pizza, and Allegro Pasta. And the Scrounge is of course ever evolving. 2006 they opened up the “Academy Street Diner” -- hey, UD’s own greasy spoon and comfort food!

 

That’s Entertainment. Yes, we’ll be talking about watching the big screens and listening to live music in the Scrounge, later on this site!

 

 

Scrounge of the Border

 

“There was a Mexican place in the Scrounge at least my freshman through junior years that made a killer chicken quesadilla. I went through points like there was no tomorrow buying those things. I'm not sure if it's still there. Once I moved off campus senior year I never went in there, but if it's gone, I'm sorry for you guys that will never experience the awesomeness that was the Scrounge quesadilla.”

 

- Kristen K, UD '05

 

Health Conscious, Part One

 

“The fried chicken sandwiches were the best. EVER. I would usually get the unhealthy combo of fried chicken, American cheese, and occasionally bacon on it, too. If they didn't have any ready it took about 7 - 10 minutes for them to make it, but it was SO WORTH IT!”

 

- Christine D, UD '05

 

Health Conscious, Part Deux

 

“I have to say the bacon double-cheeseburger was pretty fantastic at the Scrounge. Funny, I'm a vegetarian now.”

 

- Glenn F, UD '94, er…'06

 

Health Conscious, The Finale

 

“I loved the Baskin-Robbins in the Scrounge. My friends and I would walk over there at night for the cappuccino chocolate chunk ice cream. Yum. Okay, now I'm hungry. What's for dinner?”

 

- Shannon, UD '99

 

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