Spring Break
Editorial: The men and women behind the pie
Issue date: 11/17/06 Section: Editorial/Opinion
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11/17/06 - Yesterday, University of Rhode Island students trudging in to a dining hall found a special treat: tablecloths, candles splashing light throughout the room and friendly staff serving roast sirloin, cod and pie. While munching on this scrumptious food, students may have forgotten to offer a thanks to the dining staff that put in countless hours and effort to ensure a perfect evening. In light of the upcoming holiday, we at the Cigar would like to offer our thanks to the Dining Services staff.
We feel it's a nice change from the complaints that often grace these opinion pages to talk about one department that seems to consistently get it right. These employees, from cooks to student dishwashers, go the extra mile as evidenced by the sheer amounts of food the department expected to serve yesterday.
Associate Administrator for Dining Services Michael McCullough said that between both Roger Williams and Butterfield dining halls, the staff expected to serve 1,200 pounds of sirloin, 200 pounds of cod loins and more than 2,000 slices of pie. That's on top of the bread, soup, salad and dozens of beverages the halls normally serve.
Putting all that food on the table takes a lot of hard work. The staff sits down weeks before the candle light dinners to design the menu and ensure the proper food arrives, fresh and delicious. Behind the scenes, a complex computer system tracks the ordering, demand and recipes.
Through it all the dining staff must contend with food allergies ranging from nuts to dairy. Undeterred, staff members take a preemptive strike by hanging signs around the halls and posting nutrition information on the dining Web site.
Snow can't even stop this team from serving hungry students tired after a day of classes. About 10 Butterfield employees found the courage to brave icy roads and blizzard conditions last year to serve students at Butterfield Dining Hall. Countless others wake up daily before the sun rises to prepare breakfast, while students give up Friday nights to clean up after their peers.
Others travel to conventions to find new food, equipment or techniques. McCullough said on a recent trip he found a product, he wouldn't say what, that he's looking forward to using during the December dinner. We don't know what it is, but if it's anything like this year, we recommend planning to attend. Enjoy a bite to eat, share a conversation with a friend and on the way out don't forget to say, "Thank you."
We feel it's a nice change from the complaints that often grace these opinion pages to talk about one department that seems to consistently get it right. These employees, from cooks to student dishwashers, go the extra mile as evidenced by the sheer amounts of food the department expected to serve yesterday.
Associate Administrator for Dining Services Michael McCullough said that between both Roger Williams and Butterfield dining halls, the staff expected to serve 1,200 pounds of sirloin, 200 pounds of cod loins and more than 2,000 slices of pie. That's on top of the bread, soup, salad and dozens of beverages the halls normally serve.
Putting all that food on the table takes a lot of hard work. The staff sits down weeks before the candle light dinners to design the menu and ensure the proper food arrives, fresh and delicious. Behind the scenes, a complex computer system tracks the ordering, demand and recipes.
Through it all the dining staff must contend with food allergies ranging from nuts to dairy. Undeterred, staff members take a preemptive strike by hanging signs around the halls and posting nutrition information on the dining Web site.
Snow can't even stop this team from serving hungry students tired after a day of classes. About 10 Butterfield employees found the courage to brave icy roads and blizzard conditions last year to serve students at Butterfield Dining Hall. Countless others wake up daily before the sun rises to prepare breakfast, while students give up Friday nights to clean up after their peers.
Others travel to conventions to find new food, equipment or techniques. McCullough said on a recent trip he found a product, he wouldn't say what, that he's looking forward to using during the December dinner. We don't know what it is, but if it's anything like this year, we recommend planning to attend. Enjoy a bite to eat, share a conversation with a friend and on the way out don't forget to say, "Thank you."
