Most members of the Choate community are not aware what happens behind the doors of the servery. The members of the Dining Hall Committee, however, are students, faculty, and SAGE Dining Services staff who meet during every Thursday during F block to work behind the scenes, facilitating communication between Choate and SAGE Dining Services. Anna Deitcher ’18, Gus Gatton ’18, Arjun Katechia ’19, and Lizzy Mitchell’19 will be joining the committee this year.
Promoting communication between SAGE Dining Services and the Choate community is not the Dining Hall Committee’s only goal. They also tackle issues such as educating students about nutrition and sustainability. Dining Hall Committee member Ms. Nicole Stock said, “It is important to start to understand our foods, where they come from, and what nutritional value they have to us.” Additionally, they create surveys for the students to share their opinions about the dining hall.
The other members of the Dining Hall Committee include Executive Chef Mr. Ryan Citarella, Administrative Assistant Ms. Kelly O’Connell, Director of Sustainability Ms. Katrina Homan, Science Department Head Mr. Ben Small, Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Faculty Ms. Kathy White, and Asher Zelson ’17. Ms. Stock said, “I joined the committee in order to share nutritional information and really help our community learn about our food.”
The process for selecting new applicants each year starts with the Committee making an announcement at school meeting. The Committee then sends students who express interest via email a short survey. There are two main criteria for the selection of new student members: schedule and commitment. Members must have F block free. Student representatives must also be genuinely interested and invested in the Committee’s objectives. Mr. Small said, “We want to have students who seem to have a real, genuine interest in food and the dining hall.” The Committee also puts an emphasis on representing the diverse opinions and preferences of the Choate community, so they choose students from different forms who participate in a variety of extracurricular activities. Mr. Small said, “We want the Committee to be representative, but not so big that we don’t all fit around the table.” This diversity helps the committee navigate issues that the community does not unanimously agree on. Ms. Stock said, “We want a chance to really connect with the students and create a product that Choate as a community will enjoy.”
Asher Zelson ‘17, one of the student members, remarked, “I joined the committee simply because of my love of food. Food is incredibly important in a place where you need to be focused and attentive, and I wanted to make sure students were getting healthy, nutritious, and tasty food options at Choate. Food is a way to experience different cultures and bond with friends, and I think that is especially true at Choate. I wanted to join the committee to ensure that people were utilizing the amazing aspects of the dining hall to the best of their abilities.”
The Dining Hall Committee was established over ten years ago; however, it has not operated continuously. Recently, it resumed activity before SAGE Dining Services arrived. After SAGE was hired in 2014, the committee went on a two-month long recess to allow the company to acclimate to the school, since Choate is larger than most institutions SAGE caters. This year however, Ms. Stock said, “Now that SAGE has been able to settle into their role with our school and understand the ebb and flow of the school year, we want to be able to implement some of the things that we have had to put on the back burner in order to take care of more pressing issues.”
The Dining Hall Committee’s meetings are discussion-based. Throughout the week, members collect feedback from students who regularly use the dining hall, suggest changes, and voice compliments or complaints they have heard. They also help the members of SAGE Dining Services understand schedule modifications and plan accordingly. Not only does the Committee discuss short-term issues, but it also sets long-term goals and creates plans to meet these targets. Ms. Stock said, “My favorite part of the committee is when we do nutritional or sustainability education. Choate is just a small part of a larger whole that needs to act on change not only for our environment, but also our own health.”
Zelson commented, “Our biggest goal for the upcoming year is to make the dining hall a place that students can’t wait to go to. We strive to make the dining hall a social hub and a place where students and teachers alike can become educated about culinary-diversity, trends, sustainability, and nutrition in the food world.”
