Like any college campus, Mississippi State University has a lot going on, but what goes on under the campus?For nearly four decades, a tunnel has run between the Perry Cafeteria and the Colvard Union. The tunnel was constructed in 1964, when the Union was built. However, its construction was not quite as demanding as that of a subway system.
“It (the tunnel) wasn’t bored,” Don Mott, director of the physical plant, said. “It was just an excavation, and then they poured concrete into it to form the walls. It was essentially just a big trench.”
That big trench has become a vital means of transportation for the food Bulldogs eat.
“The biggest purpose for the tunnel is for the catering service to transport food that was prepared in the big kitchen in the cafeteria to the little kitchen in the Union ballroom,” Raymond Brooks, associate director of the Union, said. “This way, they don’t have to worry about weather or traffic.”
The tunnel, which is approximately 12 feet wide with a 10-foot ceiling, also serves the Union’s restaurants, as well as the State Fountain.
“The food and supplies are shipped to the loading dock at the back of the cafeteria and are then sent through the tunnels to a freight elevator in the Union,” Gaddis Hunt, former Union director (1966-1978), said.
The tunnel is not only convenient, it is practical and strategic.
“Most of the food comes in on big rigs,” Hunt said. “You can’t just back an 18-wheeler into the loading docks at the Union because there isn’t enough space.”
In addition to the flow of food and supplies, the tunnel serves as a safe haven when the weather is less than favorable.
“(The tunnel) also serves as a fall-out shelter in case of a tornado,” Brooks said. “It’s the safest place to be because it’s so far underground.”
Despite 37 years of being stepped in and driven over, the tunnel apparently has no need for renovations.
“It’s in pretty good shape,” Mo Netadj, director of dining services, said. “I’m not an engineer, and I can’t say for sure, but I can’t see any need for renovations. I don’t see any damage on it.”
The tunnel is a vital part of the campus food chain.
The food travels vast distances, but the last few hundred feet underground makes the difference between hungry Bulldogs and full Bulldogs.