Week 8
Day 35 (Monday)
I can’t believe we've already made it to the final week!
This week is going to be all about finishing all of our ongoing projects.
Monday was dedicated to recipe testing and attempting to complete our nutritionals
project. We started the day by using information from products’ websites to
find nutritional information and started compiling a list of products which
we’ll need to look for in the units.
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| Stu's mise en place |
Later in the morning we walked down to SOM where Stu and
company were continuing to test new recipes. To start off the week, Veronica
has asked Stu to work with some ingredients which will go on the upgraded salad bar. The
salad bars in Yale’s dining hall contain a variety of lettuces and raw
vegetables. However, they are most proud to offer different composed salads each day. Their new goal is to add some more exciting ingredients which will replace some of the raw vegetables. Stu will be asked to improve on the plain chickpeas, corn, olives, onion,
and other pickled vegetables.
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About 35lb of Frozen Turkey!
(in an ironic box?) |
Stu is also going to start testing some sandwich recipes
later in the week. I think there is a list of 20-25 for him to perfect in the
coming weeks before the school year begins. Andrew and I were given the
enviable task of retrieving about 35lbs of frozen turkey breast from the other
side of campus and walking it back to SOM. We also helped Stu a bit when we got
back by making the pickling liquid and doing a little bit of prep for the next
day. Of course we were mindful enough to measure out ALL of our ingredients
without having to go back and double check, just like we were supposed to...
Day 36
We had a field trip planned for part of Tuesday morning. Unfortunately
it fell through, but what can you do? Instead, Andrew and I started off the day by
walking to a couple of the residential units to try and find some of the missing products
in their inventory. We were successful with a couple of items but our list of products with information missing in Eatec is
still fairly long.
In the afternoon Veronica asked if Andrew and I would like
to sit in on a meeting she was holding with Ron. One of Veronica’s many
responsibilities is to send out a 4 week semester-long menu cycle to all of the
dining halls. With the many discussions in recent weeks about the improved salad bar layouts, as
well as those about breakfast and the deli bar, Veronica thought she should
take the opportunity to sit down with Ron and clarify any questions she had
before finalizing the next set of menus. Veronica is always well prepared (she
if famous for “The List” which she has created for another aspect of her job)
and her preparedness was evident in this meeting; she had a relatively long
list of questions. What was modelled to me during this meeting was that it is
important to not only be prepared with questions, but also with your own
interpretation of the issues at hand and, possibly, as subsequent action plan for this information.
As this meeting was progressing, Alicia, Matt, and Pedro
were stuffing hundreds of envelopes with a couple of important documents. I
thought it was only fair to offer to help them out. So for the rest of the day
we sat in the meeting room, talked a bit, and stuffed envelopes.
Day 37
After Tuesday, it felt like the rest of the week just disappeared. In the morning we finished stuffing the rest of the envelopes that weren't completed the night before. I had to joke that this seemed like
stereotypical intern work and I had it easy not having to do this kind of
“labour” until the very last week.
Once all of the envelopes were filled, Andrew and I headed down to our office in TD. Veronica found a few more nutritional labels in the office so we went
to enter them. Andrew and I showed her our list of products without nutritional
information in Eatec the night before and she agreed we likely won’t find many of these products
in the units. It sounds like this project is nearly complete! Relatively,
anyway.
After lunch there was another product cutting, this time in
Commons. This was probably one of the more interesting events as the product was
relatively new and Rafi provided the producer’s representatives with some
pretty important information which they can use to reach out to a larger
market. I have heard about the amount of respect Rafi has earned within the
foodservice industry but it is amazing to see him at work!
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| Tapas! |
The day ended in a special way. Alicia set up a send off
party for Andrew and me! Though this was a particularly busy week for the
central dining office, most of the managers and directors were able to attend.
The restaurant served tapas-style plates during happy hour and, since Ron knows
the restaurant’s chef, we were able to get some off-menu items. My favourite
dish was probably the flatbread with goat cheese and arugula. The entire night was a much appreciated gesture! Thank you, everyone!
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Veronica, Matt, Pedro, and Gerry
at our Sendoff Party |
Day 38
On Thursday we visited two retail outlets which we hadn't previously visited, KBT
(Kline Biology Tower) cafe and the cafe in the Yale Health Center. Manager
Betty Jo gave us a tour and told us about each venue, how they usually operate
during the school year, and what each one has to offer. The big take-away from
this meeting was when Betty Jo told us managing is about respect – if you respect to
your employees then your employees will show it back. If not, you’re going to
be in a battle with them every
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KBT
|
day. I fully agree with what she said and witnessed it many times so far at Yale. Managers are very respectful and encourage their employees to step up. It is much more effective to utilize individuals' assets than to try and micro-manage every little situation.
After meeting with Betty Jo, Andrew and I put the finishing touches on
the rest of the projects we've been working on, including adding information to Eatec from the nutritional jackpot we found
at KBT.
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| The Retirement Party |
The day ended with a small retirement party for three of the dining
hall managers as well as Ursula who, among many, many other things,
corresponded with NACUFS and international agencies to allow me to live in the U.S. and intern
at Yale this summer. Best wishes for your retirement, Ursula!
Day 39
It’s hard to believe but I have already made it to my
last day! Andrew and I started our day by having a final meeting with Rafi. We each told him about our perception of the internship and what we are going to take home from the experience. There is always
something to learn from Rafi. Today he told us how to successfully think our
way through responses to interview questions. There was a lot to what he
said, and I don’t want to misrepresent what he told us, but within his
statement he told us to prioritize people, and then discuss tasks and
infrastructure. Veronica added to this later in the day by advising me to
always respond in interviews by explaining what I can offer the hiring party instead of focusing
on what the job can offer me. This was all great advice and I will be putting it into practice soon as it is now time to
start job hunting!
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| Critiquing the Sandwiches Stu Prepared |
Veronica, Andrew, and I walked down to
SOM one last time for some sandwich recipe testing with Stu following our meeting with Rafi. Stu had tested
about five of the sandwich recipes and about 8 or 9 managers stopped by to test the final product.
I think of a sandwich as a pretty simple dish compared to most dinner entrees,
or any other dish Yale normally puts out, but there is a lot to consider. The managers offered a lot of constructive feedback following the session and Stu seemed confident he
would be able to make the necessary changes.
Rafi added to the experience following the taste testing by doing an impromptu demonstration of the
effective use of salt for enhancing flavour. One of the sandwiches had a
cranberry sauce on it. However, there was too much sauce for the bread to
handle and the sauce subsequently dominated the taste of the sandwich. Rafi
showed us how to use salt to increase the intensity of the cranberry sauce so
less could be used, enhancing the ability of the bread to hold up to the
moisture, and to allow for the sauce to be used without overpowering the other
flavours in the sandwich.
Before we knew it it
was time to work the Uncommon Market for the last time. We had noticeably fewer
staff from the central office helping out this week but it was probably the most
smoothly run market that I experienced.
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| Goodbye TD |
Afterward, Matt and Veronica took Andrew and I out for
lunch at a great burger joint just off campus. We then went to clear out our
office in the TD building and had a quick debriefing and evaluation with
Veronica. I appreciated her honesty when providing me with constructive criticisms and I will look to focus on in the future. Andrew and I then shook hands with everyone in the office, took a few pictures (okay, it may
have been more than a few), and that it was it. The internship had come to an
end just as quickly as it had started.
Reflection
Okay, so I admit I started to write this section before week
8 even started. But I thought it would be a good opportunity to think about the
experiences I've had at Yale and express what I've gained, should Rafi ask in
our meeting on Friday.
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View From My Room -
Last Night in New Haven |
What I've been thinking most about is what I am going to
take home with me now that this experience has come to an end. The one thing I
think that has stood out to me most, both in the central office and in the
residential units, is that being a manager and being a boss are not the same
thing. You can’t just tell people what to do – you need to utilize your team's assets and compensate for any gaps using your leadership skills. In
addition, and Sergio put this best, I have learned that the worst way to manage
is from behind your desk. You need to be visible and you need to put yourself in a position where you can witness successes and shortcomings so necessary changes can be made immediately. I think I have learned all of this both as a front level
employee and as a supervisor but never really understood the extent of its significance until witnessing the actions of the managers and directors at Yale.
It has been a humbling experience to intern at one of the greatest
academic institutions in the world. I remember doing my interview with NACUFS
during the selection process and having to explain why Yale was my preferred
destination for the summer. When I sat down to evaluate the different programs I remember reading Yale’s lengthy list of criteria on
which interns were to be evaluated at the conclusion of their internship. This
was one of the reasons I wanted to be here this summer. I remember telling my
interviewer how much I expected a department that would evaluate me on so many
different criteria to push me. And I knew I would push myself past these
expectations. Now that I have completed my internship at Yale I can say that my
assessment of Yale’s expectations was relatively accurate. However, I was pushed
further, and in more directions, than I expected. I am very fortunate and
grateful for the opportunity I have had this summer. I will never forget this
experience.
Excellence in
Hospitality
Thank Yous
There are a number of thank yous I
need to throw out there. First, a big thank you to NACUFS for setting up the internship
positions across the country and for giving me the chance to gain firsthand
experience in university foodservice.
Thank you to Yale Dining and the residential units for being
amazing hosts. Thank you to all of the directors managers, and administrators who took the time
to sit down with me, to explain their position, to give me some perspective on
where they've come from and where they are going, and for providing me with
advice to handle the fast-approaching real world!
A special thank you to Veronica for all of the time she
invested in Andrew and me. Veronica, you are an excellent role model; you have an
incredible work ethic, are a positive team member, and are very patient. You were always available to answer questions and even to just sit and chat. I greatly
appreciate everything you did for me while I was at Yale. Thank you so much!
Thank you to Simon Day and Stephanie Cook for your guidance,
instruction, and patience. I might not have even considered applying for this
internship without your mentorship.
Thank you to all my friends back home who've kept in touch
this summer. Thanks for reading my blog and, yes, even for your Facebook jeers,
chirps and (sometimes) compliments! Haha! I miss you guys. See you soon!
Thank you to my amazing girlfriend, Lisa, for all of your support
and encouragement this summer. Not everyone would suffer through an 18 hour bus
trip with a smile on to come see me. I really appreciate that you did!
Thank you to my family for all of your love and support. I
wouldn't be where I am today without you guys. I love you and I’ll see you
soon.
Last, but definitely not least, the biggest thank you of all
goes out to Tina Marie (my mom)!! You have encouraged me to push far past any level of complacency by opening doors for me and making sacrifices. Because of you I have been able to participate in many opportunities I would not have had otherwise. I cannot thank you enough for what you have done to allow me to keep improving. I hope I've made you proud. Thank you!
