Middining Dished Up Surprise

Author: Ben Salkowe

So far this year, Middining is as it has always been. Students have several dining halls available to them, the staff is maintaining its open-kitchen policy and cups seem to sprout legs and walk off. By this time next year, however, Middining will have a new smorgasbord of operations and students will have a new set of choices, as "the commons" vision of dining takes shape. With so much set to happen and so many preparations to be made, however, nobody seems to notice that the director of Dining Services is missing.

Director of Dining Services Peter Napolitano unexpectedly resigned from his position this summer. According to the Director of Business Services Tom Corbin, the position will not be filled until the end of the year.

Corbin explained that he is waiting "until the management team in dining and myself [have] an opportunity to examine the structure and operation of the department."

The management team consists of Corbin and three Dining Services managers. They are currently addressing a number of issues the department will face next year. Their goals are to define the vision of Dining Services and determine what the department needs in a new director.

This time next year Atwater will be the second commons dining hall to open its doors. Simultaneously, the roles of Proctor and Freeman International Center (FIC) will come into question.

According to Matthew Biette, associate director of Dining Services and a member of the management team, "we will not be serving in four locations. We will definitely be serving in Ross and Atwater. The wildcard will be which is closed: Proctor or FIC?"

Ultimately, the College plans to renovate Proctor. If the College is able to begin renovating Proctor next year, FIC will be spared. If that were the case, however, all dining halls would be located on the far north side of campus, which would require students to trek across Route 125 for each meal. In addition, FIC would have to house not only the load from Proctor, but also Redfield Proctor Room (faculty dining), the President's Dining Room, Dolci and the language tables.

Currently, FIC only feeds about 200-300 students per day, whereas Proctor serves around 800 each day. Atwater would bear some of the load, but like Ross, Atwater is a commons dining hall. In other words, Atwater is designed only for the specific commons, a daily load closer to 500.

Of course, if renovations to Proctor were put on hold, FIC would have to close its doors. This scenario might inconvenience fewer students, but would still leave Dolci and the language tables to be relocated.

In addition to questions regarding dining halls, a new retail operation is on the horizon with the opening of the new library next fall. Part of the library's design includes a small 24-hour study cafÈ at the entrance seating roughly 45 persons. According to Biette

"The menu items will be finalized this semester but will include espresso drinks, coffee, tea, bottled beverages, muffins, cookies and sandwiches." Because the library cafÈ will not have a kitchen, the menu will be prepared at The Grille. Unfortunately, the cafÈ will lack a Juice Bar like that of the Grille, "There will not be smoothies, Dr. Feelgoods, soup or pizza" in the library, Biette added.

Then there is the persistent question of how this all fits into the "Commons Plan." Ultimately, five dining halls will exist - one for each commons. With the College using only three dining halls next year, the need for five dining halls will come only with increased enrollment.

Of course now, a move like that would be the final blow to an already stressed college with too few rooms, mailboxes and parking lots. "Certainly when there are five dining rooms on campus, the hours of operations will be different based on needs," said Biette. But in addition, when all five Commons are complete, there should be significantly more residences halls, and it is hoped that MiddDining will be decentralized.

Commons will be able to use the dining halls for special events or lectures, and each dining hall will have a somewhat unique character. Like Ross has its Mongolian grill and pizza oven, Atwater is being built with a unique "hearth oven" like that of The Grille. Biette comments that the "oven in Atwater will be used for hearth cooked items. This could range from whole muscle protein to vegetables to bread." It is the hope that the unique identities of each dining hall, and the fact that they will have multiple uses, will allow them to coexist.

Finally, the most important issue for an incoming director is the disappearance of cups from dining halls. In reference to the dining hall cups, Biette said, "You struck a sore spot here...." Biette and Erin Sullivan '04.5, student co-chair of community council, are currently working out a system for dishware collection within each dorm.

Under Napolitano's management, the College won it's prestigious "1999 Ivy Award for Excellence in Food Services" as well as several other awards for specific recipes. Napolitano was also himself named the President-elect of the National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) while at Middlebury.

A new director of Dining Services will be taking on quite a load, and have to maintain the college's vision for the commons. Not to mention the fact that another award would not hurt those viewbooks.