On Cafeterias and Bagels

BAGELS! BAGELS AND COFFEE!!

Oh yes, the Glendale Campus faculty and staff who showed up for our recent Coffee and Conversation at the still-in-progress-but-nearly-complete new cafeteria in Barrel Student Center II were flocking to the food table in droves.

Part of our "other duties as assigned" in the Office of Communications is to help host these little get-togethers after major events, building or lab openings, and conversations with Dr. G. Janet Reiman, our 100% awesome Special Events Coordinator here in Glendale, always puts a lot of thought and care into them and they're usually quite successful at getting MWU people together to socialize and enjoy some tasty snacks.

This time, though, since the get-together was in the morning in the new cafeteria, it was decided that we ought to change our normal routine of "Cake and Conversation" - in which we serve delicious frosting-covered cake and punch - to bagels, coffee, and fresh orange juice.

The intrepid gang in Communications showed up at the new cafeteria (which, by the way, is marvelously roomy and far better suited to our institution than its predecessor) with bagels, cream-cheese spreads, and beverages ready to go. But I don't think any of us were prepared for the vehemence with which our peers launched themselves onto the fresh food.

The sad thing is that Janet missed what was easily the most successful "Conversation" event we've had in months because she was doing something far less important involving a boat on Lake Powell. But we who were there were flabbergasted by the sight of dozens of faculty and staff cheerfully stuffing their faces full of cheese-coated bagels and hot coffee or fresh juice. Clearly, we had accidentally hit on a winning formula - after all, cake is nice in small doses, but who doesn't like a good bagel, particularly in the morning?

It was so successful that we burned through almost our entire bagel stock, with the remains of two half-slices of bagel the only weary survivors of the mad bread dash that morning. (This also meant that I didn't get seconds, and we know that it's all about me, right?)

It doesn't take an Einstein or his brother (cue rimshot... don't forget to tip your waitress) to see that we'll likely be heading back to the well for the next "Conversation" get-together. At least, I hope we do - I really wanted to try that tomato basil cheese spread.