Michigan State Week #5

Kelsey and I started off our workweek on a Sunday. This was unusual for us, but it ended up being really busy in the dining hall with all of the public for Sunday lunch. I rolled a lot of sushi and for dinner I worked in Boiling Point (the pasta station) for the first time. I have now flipped omelets, stir-fry, and pasta! Also, we worked on a pickled garden vegetable salad using radishes from the student organic farm.

Monday was our day to shadow supervisory so we were sent to do some new jobs. We got to sell advance meal tickets to parents attending the orientation program, and then during lunch, Kelsey and I learned how to swipe IDs for meals. It was fun since neither of us had done it, but we both decided we like being with the food a lot more!

We have been really excited to visit Ferris State University, and we finally got to on Tuesday. It was a great mid-week field trip. Although the campus is much smaller than Michigan State, it was very up-to-date, balanced, and quality. The dining hall was so much fun to see and compare to MSU’s. They had a similar set up to Brody but, because of the size, it had a more intimate feel. Other areas we toured included the hockey arena, optometry school, and Starbuck’s! My favorite part was meeting with their Director of Dining Services. She is currently designing a new dining hall facility that will open in January 2015. It was so interesting to have her explain the architect’s drawings, show the décor she has purchased, explain the differences in tableware, and feel her passion for the entire project! It just made me realize how much work goes into every little detail of dining services, even before the facility is running.

Wednesday was a normal workday at Brody for us. Kelsey and I dished and garnished our Herby Pickled Garden Salad and served it at lunch in the Veg Out station. We both really liked the taste, and the people who tried it did, too. We both really enjoy working with such fresh and local produce and are really proud that we have had an opportunity to do so.

We finished off our week with another management shadowing day in Brody. One of the student supervisors spent a lot of time showing us the “behind the scenes” of some of the machines. For example, the never-ending condiment dispensers are fed from bags in the cabinet below, the pop syrups are kept in huge closets that somehow lead to the machines in the halls, and the juice dispenser does not have to be filled as often as we think, since it is loaded with concentrates! The dining center started to feel the effects of the holiday with pretty slow business, so Kelsey and I got to spend a lot of time on trivia questions and brochures for the dietitian. In the afternoon, we met with the Operations Manager who gave us some helpful hints for our futures involving management.

Luckily, Kelsey and I have the 4^th off of work. We are spending it in a small town on the coast of Lake Michigan. We are really excited to explore a new area and hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend!