Ask the College Dining Hall Employee

[Lord_Il_Palazzo]

@tarragon918

I worked at a dining hall my senior year (1973-74) at Univ. of Del. I suspect that the dining hall options then were quite different from today. I worked at one of the better dining halls, one that was small enough that the food wasn’t too mass-produced drek. Mostly, I checked meal tickets! We didn’t have to punch them or anything; you just looked at the ticket to make sure that they had the right package on there, then you let them in the door. I did work on the line once or twice a week and at least once a week I worked the dishroom line. The regular workers and the kids mostly got along together – there was a large bunch of kids who worked in the cafeterias. One time I did the “floater” position, but that mostly involved replacing condiments, which you had to go down into the basement and haul these -huge- jars of relish, mayo, etc. out to re-fill - they were pretty heavy! I never “volunteered” to do that job again. My pay? $2/hour, which was minimum wage at the time! I did love it, though – well, I enjoyed being able to have spending money.

I’ve had to do most of that at some point or other. My one stint as a floater (“roamer” is the term at West End; it seems to be the exact same thing) was about the most boring shift I’ve ever worked. For me it was mostly wiping tables, restocking napkin dispensers, refilling silverware, etc.
Luckily, pay has gone up a tad since the early 70’s. I make $8.40/hr and the starting rate is $8.25 (I got a 15 cent raise for returning to work a second year.) Working about 16 hours per week, that amounts to a nice bit of pocket money.

[Lord_Il_Palazzo]

@StuffLikeThatThere

Serves you right for attending college in the South. At my state school in Ohio, we didn’t even know what fried okra was.

Industrial cheese sauce, though, we knew what that was.

And now, a question for the OP: Are there any non-students working there that have “pets?” When I was in college, a 50-ish unmarried woman in one dining hall decided it was her mission in life to pamper the hockey team. Every game day, they’d eat lunch at that hall, and she had special, intricately decorated cookies for them that she’d made at home and brought with her.

I found this weird, and fairly sad, actually. Have you ever seen anything like that, or was she just a strange one?

The only person who even comes close to having “pets” is a 70-something black woman who everyone calls “Granny.” She always works the line and has some students who she always stops to make small talk with. None of the special cookie stuff though. Just students she’s gotten to know over the years and chats with.

[Lord_Il_Palazzo]

@Sunspace

What’s “okra”?

When I was at the University of Waterloo, I lived in residence (all the first-year students had to) and ate in the residence dining hall. We had this meatloaf that tasted great but whose freshly-cut surface gradually darkened as it sat there on the plate. We had a theory that it was oxidising. Any idea what that was?

Well, red meat is high in iron.

Oh, and as for okra, that’s technical talk for barely-edible-demon-pod. I think I’ve actually seen it at the vegitarian line in D2, though I could be wrong. I try to avoid the stuff.

[Lord_Il_Palazzo]

@Captain Carrot

When’s your shift? I’ve been meaning to try some of the more traditional food at West End, and the Chop Shop does look good, but I almost always get a wrap at the semi-Mexican place or a quesadilla at the grill in front.

And personally, I find most of the food at D2 quite good, though they have their off days, and I’ve also never had any stomach problems. (Last Friday I think it was, I had eaten about half of my curly fries before I realized that they tasted distinctly worse than usual.)

Awesome. I’d forgotten that we have another Hokie on the Dope.

I work Friday and Sunday nights from 4 until close and Saturday mornings from opening until 3:30. If you want to try and spot me, my name is Daniel, I wear glasses and I usually have a pen in the breast pocket of my apron.

My personal recommendation, if you do come by Chop Shop, is to get the crispy grilled chicken (I mentioned it a few posts up, you have to order it at the register by the grill.) I’d also recommend our broiled Italian tomato as a side. It’s a half tomato drizzled with olive oil and Italian seasonings and baked. It’s then topped with a mozzarella provolone cheese mix and broiled until the cheese melts. The only problem is that they get a little soupy sometimes so check them out before you order one. You can see them through the window to the left of the grill.