The week before finals, all students on Buena Vista University’s campus are invited to an annual Christmas-themed dinner. Many students look forward to this event each year as they get to dress up for the occasion. There is food, Christmas decorations, lights, carols, and laughter.
The event is put together by Dr. Melanie Hauser, associate professor of Chemistry and the University Chaplain. She assembles a team, including Admissions, Sodexo, Alumni office, President’s office and the Music Department, who begin planning the dinner as early as September.
Hauser oversees hosting the Christmas Dinner each year as part of her position as campus chaplain. She took over chaplain and Christmas Dinner duties in 2020.
The two students chosen to ring this year’s Christmas Dinner bell were Cody Fuller and Connor Zegar. Before the Christmas Dinner begins, these two students get the honor of ringing the bell on campus. The bell is rung four times throughout the school year. It is rung to welcome new students, at Christmas Dinner, on Buenafication day, and graduation day.
Many students love the Christmas Dinner as it is a chance to bring them together and take photos with their friends.
“My favorite part of the Christmas Dinner is probably the photos afterwards. That’s really a good time to get to hang out with friends and… get to make memories captured by that moment, ” said Fuller
“Definitely the variety of food compared to the normal selection of food choices but then again it’s really cool getting together with the baseball guys having us all down there as a team and then seeing the rest of the campus too dressed up looking spiffy getting down there and just being a community together, ” said Zegar.
Many students like Zegar love the food served during the dinner. Sodexo has a large staff that is run by Operations Manager, Nathan Blum and Ken Allen, General Manager.
“What I like about it is the whole bringing everybody together at one time… having a dinner cause it does not happen very often and to have the faculty staff all involved…helping us make it happen because we could not make what HAPPENED happen without their support. That is the biggest thing and seeing everyone all dressed up and excited about the night,” said Allen.
Sodexo staff work hard everyday to feed the students on campus. The Christmas Dinner is different as they served nearly 500 students at once.
“We all sat down prior… a week prior and just… so, like this is what we are gonna do here. I mean it’s just organized chaos,” said Blum.
Even in the organized chaos students were served meals and enjoyed the Christmas spirit Tuesday, December 5, 2024. The staff and faculty will work hard again next year to plan the Christmas Dinner again.
