New Grill Initiative Provides Weekly Snacks for Dorms

Exeter recently piloted an evening snack program that provides dorms with healthy snacks from Grill one or two nights each week. English Instructor and Williams House Dorm Head Christina Breen first proposed the idea last fall, but the program has just been implemented.

In her eight years at Exeter, Breen has noticed that while some dorm residents would order food late at night, those lacking the means were unable to sate their appetite. “Some students with less resources were surely just as hungry but could not afford the supplemental nighttime meal,” Breen said. “I thought the school should provide a nourishing snack for all boarding students. When the idea of this dorm snack program was first raised, it gained some support, but once the economic factors were taken into consideration, the proposal was put away.”

The weekly food trucks that visit campus exacerbated the separation between students who could afford a “fourth meal” and those who could not. “It was clear that the divide between the fed and hungry would continue,” Breen said. “I made a push for the snack program again, and this time it gained important administrative support.”

Mischke hopes the program will make sure that all students have some access to extra food without extra cost. “The equity issue and accessibility issue was really the inception,” she said. For the administration, the main goal was to provide food “in a way that is fairy, healthy and doesn’t put any burden on any of the staffs that are already working longer hours.”

Each dorm is allocated $1.25 per student per week and can only pick from the provided options on the snack list. All dorm orders must be in by midnight on Wednesday the week prior to pickup. Dean Mischke has drawn from the Dean of Students office’s budget, and Principal Lisa MacFarlane’s and the Dining Services’ discretionary funds have also been used to cover the cost of the program.

The administrators devised a plan for implementing the snack program. “Each of us looked in different places to find a way to support this program and figure it out,” Mischke said. “It’s our intention to keep something like this if it works, and we need to know if this program is working in dorms.”

If dormitories approve of the trial run, administrators will retain a similar program. Chief Financial Officer David Hanson explained that the school will pilot a few different options, such as providing the snacks or perhaps giving dorm heads a list of options each week.

Hanson was enthusiastic about the program, emphasizing that it made the boarding experience much more equitable. “We do not want anyone to be hungry on this campus,” he said.

Academy dietician and nutritionist Pamela Stuppy highlighted the potential benefits of such a program. “Although we don’t advise that students stay up late at night writing papers, when they do, having snacks can give them a brain boost and make them work more efficiently,” she said. “The thought here is to provide a basic healthy option who might have been choosing less healthy option, or who may benefit from a healthy option at that time of the day. This is just equalizing things across the board.”

The Department of Information Technology Services collaborated with Acting Director of Dining Services Melinda Leonard and Grill Manager Robert Brown to create an online order form that allows dorm heads to place weekly orders.

“The Grill operation was chosen based on our goal to centralize the process of ordering while enabling dorms to pick up their snacks until 9:30 p.m. that align with the Grill hours of operation,” Leonard said. She also shared a positive outlook for the program and looks forward to suggestions. “I think it’s a good program, and I continue to invite feedback from students and dorm heads in it’s development and ongoing success.”

Soule Hall Dorm Head Filip Sain expressed his satisfaction with the program. “Hopefully, with the ability to tailor to the needs of our residents, we can have something that people find useful. It seems like people tend to get hungry at night so if a snack or two can help them get through the night, I’m all for it,” he said. “It’s definitely worth a try, and I’m looking forward to this program continuing.”

Brown explained that there could still be improvements made to the program, such as getting a separate space to operate the program and an extra dedicated person to manage it. “I also think a better plan would be for the dorms to get money put into their account so that each dorm could choose where to buy other types of items like ordering pizza at night or from other sources,” he said.

Upper Cade Napier agreed that certain adjustments could be made to improve the efficiency of the program. “The first time I went to pick up the snacks, we were given stuff that I don’t think anybody in the dorm touched, like hummus. We had to throw that out and it seemed like a waste.” However, Napier did see potential. “Hopefully when we can input our own orders things will smoothen out and we won’t have to waste as much,” he said.

Overall, students have been positive about the new program. “I think it’s a good source of dorm bonding because we all get together to share the food,” senior Kate Lu said. “ I also like the idea of how good, nutritious food is provided for everyone, making sure everyone has access to it.”

The program will continue throughout this school year. Once Dean of Residential Life AJ Cosgrove gathers feedback from dorm heads and students, administrators will determine the future of the program.

“Through the hard work of many administrators and finance professionals in J. Smith, the program has begun,” Breen said. “Dorm heads are still working out the logistical kinks, but I am excited that it is up and running.”