Last Wednesday, I attended the Becker-Rose Café Series talk given by Paul Muscente, Associate Director of Cornell Dining and Daniel Czebiniak, House Chef/Manager of Rose House Dining Room. They began the talk by giving some background on the different eateries at Cornell and how Cornell dining has ranked in the previously and as of late amongst other college eateries. We have consistently been ranked within Princeton Review’s Top 10! Both Paul and Chef Daniel then elaborated on some of the initiatives that Cornell Dining has taken as a whole and West Campus dining has taken in recent years. Such initiatives include the Cornell Dining Mug Club to reduce the use of disposable cups, Five Days of 5 in which everyone on campus was encouraged to eat five cups of fruits and veggies for five days last semester, and the set servings of meat to encourage students to fill their plates with more veggies and fruits and less protein.

It made a lot of sense to me that Chef Daniel and the dining staff look at what gets returned to the kitchen to gauge what students like and do not like as much. But what stood out to me most was the amount of care that Chef Daniel, Paul, and the entire Cornell Dining staff puts into ensuring that all students’ dining needs are met. There is a nutritionist who will work with students if they have allergies or other dietary guidelines and restrictions. Chef Daniel will also prepare foods especially for people with allergies. This personalization and dedication speaks volumes. I would agree with Paul that in addition to the variety offered on campus, what makes Cornell Dining so unique is the staff’s willingness to work with students and ensure that everyone has a pleasant dining experience. I was really impressed that the day after this talk, the cookies were moved away from the fruits to where the other desserts were as one student suggested. I applaud Cornell Dining’s efforts to help students eat healthier and to be more sustainable.

I would be lying if I did not say that a highlight for me was receiving Cornell peanut butter at the end of the talk. I think that this also speaks to how special Cornell Dining is. We are able to enjoy products that are made right here on campus, such as peanut butter, yogurt, and apple cider. We also reach out to local producers and donate food to local food banks. A large portion of the Cornell Dining staff is also comprised of student and local workers. All of this is extremely important in building relations within the Cornell community, as well as, the greater Ithaca community. I can tell that the Cornell Dining staff takes great pride in their work. For that, I just want to say, “Thank you” to them for all that they do. I am so appreciative. They certainly do a great job with a so many mouths to feed day-in-and-day-out. Cornell Dining, you rock!