Small dining units created something special

Last year was the end of an era. UConn said farewell for a final time to the tradition of having small dining units on campus. This was the one change many students were sad to see happen. As a bit of history, before our time at this university nearly every dormitory building had its own kitchen. As priorities shifted to cost minimization, these small dining units began to disappear and were replaced with the larger dining units we have today. Up until last year, one area refused to give in to this tradition. Four small dining units, which served all of Towers, remained the last units of this legacy. Towers had a unique identity that was fostered in four small and well-hidden dining units, which serviced no more than 200 students each night. Many students outside of Towers did not even know of the existence of the small dining units nor could they appreciate the brilliance of these units. With the building of the new Towers dining facility, the small units' legacy has been reduced to memories. Anyone who ate regularly in those small units knows there was something special present. The community that existed, as a result of the small units, is something UConn will be hard-pressed to match. Therefore, it is essential to reflect back on what exactly was so special about the units so UConn can work to create such a model community in the future. While everyone who ate in Towers last year had different experiences, what was special about the units were the close relationships they helped to foster between the people there. Students got to know all of the other "regulars" eating in the dining units and students got to know their cooking staff. Those students who ate at a specific dining unit on a regular basis developed personal relationships with their cooking staff. The chefs knew most all of their students' names as a result of the intimate settings. The kitchens were set up in an arrangement allowing the staff to come out of the kitchen, circulate and talk amongst the students. In the process, the staff was able to personally know the students who were eating there. They knew the favorite food items for their students and if someone asked for a special food item, it could be easily made in the future. In addition, the chefs had a considerable amount of freedom over what they would cook and on several occasions would stray from the menu items. The result of all of this was a homely atmosphere where everyone was comfortable. The cooking staff was considered your parents and would be worried if they saw you missed a meal. They would always make sure you were eating enough and would take the initiative to encourage you to get more food. Staff also knew when their students were having a bad day and if they saw someone was depressed or tired, they would come over and try and cheer you up. Their role went far beyond that of cook -in fact many students will attest they were parent-like figures, mentors and very good friends. The bottom line, eating in a small dining unit was a family-like atmosphere where everyone knew everyone else. Since everyone knew everyone so well, many good and fun times were spent in the dining halls. Chefs would joke with students attempting to see who could out-do them with the best jokes. And on many occasions all the cooking staff would have plenty of fun with each other by telling jokes and stories. Critics of the small units have always stated the big disadvantage was the number of food choices was much less than in the large dining halls. While the small units never had pizza and burgers everyday, the food made was of the highest quality on campus. The food was always prepared in reasonable proportions allowing chefs to get creative and season the food. The food on the line was always hot. When cooking for only 200 as opposed to over a thousand, the result is an obvious formula for better food. Additionally, the dining halls were always decorated for the holidays and on several occasions holiday meals were cooked. Anyone who went to a holiday meal at Towers can attest they left the dining hall stuffed and with the highest of praise for the cooking staff. Personally, I am grateful to have eaten almost every meal of my previous two years in the same small unit. The staff at Morgan-Lafayette helped me to transition into the college atmosphere and made my first two years of college a great experience. People like Ed Brown, Marilyn Delaney, Patricia "Grandma" Biloddeau and Toni Edgar were bright spots in the lives of the hundreds of students they served each year. Dining services still has great people, except it is extremely hard to maintain a personal relationship while in a very large dining hall. The decision to abolish the concept of small dining units was made well before our time at this university. At this point, little can be done to restore the sense of community, which was the result of the small kitchens. What can be done is that the university can use the small dining units as a positive example of how to create an ideal sense of community on this campus. Being at a large research institution makes it easy for students to feel they are a number. If UConn looks close enough, the University will see how the small dining units made students feel as if they were part of a tight-knit community where individuals are more than a number. Small dining units were a recipe for good food, personal memories and never-ending friendships. It may sound melodramatic, but we all cried when the last meal was served because we knew it was the end of an era where something truly special existed. They are missed.