by liz squindo
Dean of Students
Dining: ‘We adjusted … to create a better system’
Dining capacity was the primary structural challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic. With restrictions on capacity, we were unable to feed the entire community lunch in a timely manner in Lak Dining Hall. So while Lak remained the food service hub, the Campus Center and Chapel were transformed. The Campus Center became the Middle School’s dining space. The snack bar was converted into a servery. The soft seating was replaced with dining tables topped with plexiglass. A student suggested creating a “Grab and Go” space in the Chapel. Taking advantage of this creative solution, we removed pews and added air conditioning, refrigeration units, and dining tables and chairs. In Lak, we reduced the number of tables, added plexiglass and removed self-serve stations. Derek Fairbrother and Lee Lathan of Flik Dining took charge of daily operations and devised many creative solutions. Mr. Fairbrother explained, “We needed to create a system to provide quality meals in the least restrictive way while maintaining safety protocols and speed of service. What we initially planned did not work for everyone. It took a while to find the right balance of providing variety while controlling waste. With constructive feedback from servers, students and faculty, we adjusted our menu, staffing and packaging to create a better system.”
Dining’s greatest operational challenge was providing takeout meals for students in quarantine. Fairbrother said, “It was not a regular task we performed or a regular process for the students. It was a logistical challenge for the kitchen.” Once dining services packaged the meals, Mike Mannix, Dean of Residential Life, coordinated meal delivery to students in various on-campus quarantine locations.
LEFT AND RIGHT: Flik Dining employees in different dress on theme days.
The dining staff was extremely receptive to feedback and kept innovating all year. Communal meals are an integral part of our community experience; we’re excited to get back to some semblance of these experiences in the days ahead.
Mary Davidson cleans tabletop plexiglass in Lak Dining Hall.
WILB R AHAM & MONSON AC ADEMY
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