Grilling with a Smile

Chocolate croissants, cookies, turkey bacon club sandwiches and cheese burgers. Every day, students go in and out of Grill and purchase these delicious treats without knowing the master behind the counter: Night Manager and Head Grill Chef Michael “Smiley” Karnacewicz.Prior to his time at the Academy, Karnacewicz worked at a local restaurant as a baker. During his last few years in the restaurant, he served as the head baker. He also ran his own bakery in the town of Exeter, but when the restaurant he worked in closed because of financial conflicts, he turned to Exeter.Karnacewicz decided to apply for a job in the Academy two years ago after seeing an online advertisement for a position at Wetherell Dining Hall. His interviewer happened to be a long time friend from a previous occupational situation. “I used to work with her ex-boyfriend. She did the interview over at Wetherell and then she went on vacation for two weeks,” Smiley said.To his dismay, he never received a phone call. Karnacewicz remained all smiles, however, and decided to take the initiative. “I decided to call her back, and she said, ‘Smiley! I have the perfect place for you!’ And that’s when she sent me to the Grill. The next day I had my interview with Bob the manager and the rest is history,” Karnacewicz said.Just how did Karnacewicz came to be known as Smiley? His father passed away rather young, at 65, and up until that point the nickname’s origins remained clouded. Smiley eventually asked his mother, “Mom, it was both you and Dad that gave me the nickname Smiley, right? And she said ‘oh no, it was all your father.”Karnacewicz soon learned the real reason behind the name. “When I was born, I had the biggest smile on my face, and I actually have a picture at home. My grandfather took it, I was 6 months old,” he said. Since then, the affable nickname stuck with him, as it reads on the silver plaque he wears to grill every day, “Michael ‘Smiley’ Karnacewicz.”Manager of Grill Robert Brown commented on Karnacewicz congenial nickname. Brown explained that it fits him, not because he always has a smile on, but because of his positive nature.“Personality wise, he is very upbeat and positive which is why, I think, he has the nickname,” Brown said. “He is just an always positive guy, who looks at the brighter side of everything and fixes problems rather than just commenting on the what’s wrong with situations.”Apart from his love for cooking and supplying students with tasty treats, Karnacewicz deeply enjoys golf. His personality occasionally begets his ability to play, but he explained that he tries to play when he is free.“I’m addicted to playing golf. I’m a member at a club so I’m trying to get out and play more and more,” Karnacewicz said. “It’s hard, I’m a shy person and I find it hard to go out and play golf by myself. But I have to break out of my shell and just show up at the course and say, ‘Is there room for me?’ Thats just what I have to do.”As an employee of Grill, Karnacewicz’s jobs as night manager and head cook maintain a variety of responsibilities. From keeping the hot food and dessert cases full throughout the week to creating meals and snacks for students, Smiley aims to please.Brown noted that Karnacewicz tends to his responsibilities with dedication and even goes further when extra help is needed in Grill.“He is very dependable. He never says no. Any time we’ve had emergencies, and we have had to call him in, he always came,” Brown said. “As far as taking initiative to do things on his own, he comes up with his own ideas to create foods.”Upper Jad Seligman said that Karnacewicz’s cooking offers a delicious alternative for the daily meals in the Academy dining halls.“Smiley works hard to stuff our gullets, and I think Grill's gotten better during my time here. He’s become much more consistent with his cooking. It's a really nice alternative when D-Hall's food budget starts to run low,” Seligman said.Lower Hailey Hudson echoed Seligman’s sentiments, commenting on Karnacewicz’s abilities.“The food is super tasty, everything in Grill is awesome. I think Smiley should get more recognition because he isn't very well known across campus, and I think everyone can agree that his food is delicious.”