Cold Comfort

Nothing draws a crowd quite like free ice cream. That’s what the new Beaver Classic Creamery discovered last April when the celebration of its grand opening attracted a line of students that stretched down the block from Withycombe Hall. By the time the band had played and the scoops had all been scooped, 1,500 cups of Vanilla with Sprinkles, Beaver Bark and Chai-athi Murthy had been handed out to hungry Beavers. The new storefront — open from noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 2921 Southwest Campus Way — offers the public a taste of student-made ice cream, cheese and honey. It’s part of a $71 million renovation of the 81,000-square-foot Withycombe Hall that also includes the new Tillamook Dairy Innovators Lab, the Erath Family Foundation Winery Laboratory, and new labs and offices for the Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences. “This state-of-the-art facility enhances our ability to integrate teaching, research and hands-on learning,” said Staci Simonich, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences. “It strengthens our role as a model for industry and education working together to prepare the next generation of leaders in Oregon agriculture.”