There seems to be a rite of passage for becoming a sophomore and leaving behind the freshness of first year – inhabiting the Ivy. In the Schwarzman Center, there are many community hubs. One of these hubs is the Ivy, a restaurant-like space where you can use dining points for a plethora of meals, snacks, and sweet treats.
Though it may have been different for others, I hardly every went into the Ivy during my first year, partly because I had no reason to. During first year, you are required to be on the full meal plan, which means you have all three meals every day of the week at the dining hall with no points. However, after first year, you have the choice to switch your meal plan to the Flex Plan, allowing 350 points (or dollars) to go into an account to be used to your liking at various locations across campus. Among these locations, as stated, is the Ivy.
As a Sophomore, I have patronized The Ivy quite frequently. Whenever the dining hall isn’t quite to my liking, I text a friend or two and head to the center of campus and use my points. As with many spaces on campus, The Ivy is multifaceted. More than just a space to escape the less desirable dining hall menus, The Ivy is a beautiful space of community gathering. The two friends you invite can easily turn into ten or more, as people continue to flood into the basement of the Schwarzman Center.
More than just informal gatherings, though, The Ivy is also a space of performance. At the back end, there is a stage that is used throughout the year by various groups to put on shows like a late-night jazz club (sometimes literally, as they do host jazz shows).
Though previously a blurred-out spot on my personal map of Yale, The Ivy has become an integral part of my sophomore year. What that fact, among many others, has shown me is that we may never fully know the university we attend, but that’s not a bad thing. I thought I knew all I needed to about Yale when packing up my first year dorm, but whole worlds have been discovered over the past 7 months, and I am sure the same will happen as I finish the second half of my journey on this campus.
