May your wishes come true…
This week, a little elf told me to read Friday’s Collegian in the column of letters to the Santa; I was not surprised to see three requests related to dining services and I will attempt to answer some of the questions. First of all, the article shows that food is serious business, especially in a large residential university like UMass. Our goal is to continue to improve and meet your needs while following the Mission of UMass Dining. In case you don’t know, the Mission of UMass Dining Services is to contribute to the campus life experience by providing a variety of healthy and flavorful meals featuring local, regional and world cuisine, in a sustainable and environmentally conscious manner.
Let’s look at the three wishes:
1. All I want for Christmas is a dining commons somewhere in the middle of campus -
As you know we have the Campus Center and Whitmore in the center of the campus, both offering good food. The only challenge it that it is not an all-you-care-to-eat program such as at the DCs. We plan to renovate Franklin DC soon; if not this summer, then the following one. It will mirror Berkshire and be just as good. Worcester will also undergo a major renovation after Franklin. So watch out, both of them are located close to the center of the campus; however, in the near future, you could get a commuter meal plan, such as YCMP which will allow you to eat at either the DC or retail. What’s more, with YCMP, Friday night is free!
2. For Christmas this year, all I want is chicken fingers to be available all the time at every Dining Commons on Campus
Chicken fingers (tenders) are still one of the most popular items on the menu. We use the top-of-the-line chicken fingers and fry them in healthier omega 9 oil (the next generation of cooking oil – a zero trans-fat canola). We usually have them on the menu once a week or so. As with everything, moderation is the key; we will have chicken fingers on the menu once more this week, before we call it a semester. Too much of a good thing, might not be a good thing and could be boring. However, I will pass on your comments to the menu committee.
3. I would like plain bagels, white bread and less rye bread
Honesty, I prefer white bread and a plain bagel too sometimes. In my house, I would prefer Wonder bread over wholegrain, even if it sticks to the roof of your mouth. We know wholegrain bread is better for us, but perhaps we should have “Wonder bread” every now and them – as I said, moderation is the key.
Let me share my three holiday wishes -
1. that all UMass students will handle the stress of exams well and enjoy a nice peaceful holiday break
2. that UMass will be able to further weather the economic storm next year, thanks go an improving economy
3. and lastly, that UMass Dining will be on the list of the best campus food in the next Princeton Review (more on this later)
Good luck on your finals and happy holidays to everyone!
This is Ken Toong and thank you for keeping UMass Dining at the top.
Ken Toong
Director
Contact Ken at ktoong@mail.aux.umass.edu
You can follow Ken Toong on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/KenToong