I seem to be especially active on RAVEN today, but all the discussion
about food on campus and people going elsewhere to eat made me start
recalling some history.

 

Some of the other "Old Timers" around here may remember years ago when
Food Service tried providing a dining room for faculty and professional
staff in the Chickamauga Room in the University Center. It lasted
2-3yrs, I think. It was never really heavily patronized. For me at
least, I believe it was because it was just a little too much and too
elaborate for everyday lunch. It was usually very good, however.
(Similar to the Faculty Club dining, where the food was excellent, but
more formal and expensive than one might want on a regular basis. Also,
I believe the less central location of the Patten House was a factor).
And an important added advantage was that it was buffet style so that it
never took very long to get served, leaving time to eat at a casual
pace, and more importantly to sit for awhile and dine with other UTC
faculty/staff.

 

Which gets me to my point. This was a time fairly early in my career at
UTC. But it helped immensely in building a "foundation" of colleagues
that still serve me well today (not the colleagues but having a base of
faculty and professional staff that I know and can call or refer someone
to). And it allowed us all to spend time discussing the current issues,
be they national, state, local, or UT System, or UTC Campus. And, I must
admit, there was the occasional gossip morsel digested on rare occasion.
Despite the limited number who utilized it, because of the usual group
that would be there pretty regularly, the folks like me who showed up on
a less regular basis, and guests, dignitaries, and job applicants from
off campus being hosted  there, it was a good cross-section of
departments and other campus segments. 

 

OK, I'll really get to my point this time. The Chickamauga Room provided
one of those things that doesn't show up on cost/benefit sheets or that
can be quantified in monthly reports. My guess is it lost money, hence
it being discontinued. But, for me at least, it helped in my roll on
campus and my job in general in a less tangible way that I believe does
pay off. It was a way of knowing who was who, what the issues in various
departments were, and how things sort of interrelated to give one a more
subjective, holistic sense of "the system". Now, the faces of newer
faculty and staff I recognize, but the names or much knowledge about
people's roles in their depts., what's going on around campus, etc. are
fewer and farther between. 

 

And to this day, I believe if they had included less heavy or formal
options such as sandwiches and grill items, it would be frequented more
because of the less hectic experience than the main dining area and the
time saved during a busy day. 

 

It would be nice to have something like that again.

 

ED

 

 

 

Ed Smith

Psychologist and Clinical Services Coordinator

UTC Counseling and Career Planning Center

 

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