Dining Hall Seating More Than Meets the Eye A Look Into Where Choaties Choose to Sit During Their Meals
By Rebecca Han ’10
News Staff Reporters
The social structures in the dining halls of colleges like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Yale are becoming even more intricate, according to a November 30 article in the Yale Daily News. “A quick stroll reveals several tables entirely of black students, others entirely of white students, another of mostly Asian students, and one comprised of students speaking Spanish,” the article reported. MIT is giving its dining system a thorough examination, according to a Proposal for the MIT Residence System. The goal of the dining system, summarized in the Institute Dining Review Committee’s Final Report, is to support “the educational mission of MIT and provide opportunities for development of socialization, citizenship, and leadership skills.”
Hill House Hierarchy
At Choate, grouping amongst students in the Hill House dining hall can be apparent. The restricted “sections” for each form contribute a great deal to the seating pattern, as they provide the general framework for who sits where. Even within each section of the dining hall, though, cliques can still sit together.
Despite some reports of cliquey tables, other students find the dining hall seating less static. “There’s a lot of variety—all different kinds of people sit together,” reported Chloe Patton ’09. Still other students believe that some tables arrange themselves by ethnicity and gender. “In the freshman section, there’s often an all-male table, an all-female table, and a black table,” said Charlotte Holtz ’11. Sooji Kang ’09 observed that “the Korean guys all sit together; there's also usually a day student table, and a jock table.” ChangLin Tsai ’10 described his seating preferences: “I intentionally try to sit with my friends but if I cannot find any of them I usually resort to ethnicity and sit with a bunch of Asians, even if they're not in my form.”
Creating Common Bond
Common interests and activities can also act as a bond between students. “A lot of people eat with their athletic team, especially swimmers and water-polo players…I also occasionally see a table with a bunch of people who do theater,” Tsai observed. Ridhima Guniganti ’09 said that her table often consists of fellow actors. “We all like theater and I wouldn’t have met some of these people if it weren’t for Troy Women.” Patton acknowledged that “day students often eat together, as well as people from the same dorm; it makes sense, because they all walk in and sit together.”
Students may also sit with different groups during each meal. “I try to sit with quiet people at breakfast. At lunch, I sit with my friends and at dinner, I sit with whoever I know—it’s a more relaxed meal,” Holtz explained. Social circles may be nonexistent at lunch, as friends may be split between D, E, and F blocks. Students may also feel compelled to sit with different friends during lunch and dinner. “At dinner, there are more people than at lunch, and people tend to actually sit down and have a nice meal and take their time and just chill,” as Tsai notes.
Faculty Mirror Students
Similarly, the faculty sometimes eats together in groups. Mr. William Berghoff, 6th Form Boys’ Dean, said, “There are definitely groups in the Dining Hall, but they aren't based on any common pattern—there's that table in the corner, for example, that has a variety of experience, departments, and tenured teachers.” Other teachers sit at any table they find. “"It's a mix—we often just sit with whoever we came in with,” said Ms. Emily Piacenza of the English Department. Faculty members do not always sit with their department colleagues. Mr. Berghoff said he routinely eats with seniors. “As the dean of senior boys, I like to see how my 6th formers are doing.” Occasionally, teachers will prearrange to meet students in the dining hall, while others will simply invite themselves to a student table. Some faculty members also bring their families to eat in the dining hall. Mr. Berghoff brings his children “four or five nights a week – dinner sometimes and maybe Sunday brunch.” Often, however, administrative faculty such as the College and Development Offices commandeer individual tables.
Whatever the reasons for these groupings among both faculty and students, the MIT Dining Report articulated the purpose and role that the dining hall plays in a community: "Gracious, pleasant, and relaxed dining in a house dining room can be a significant part of the educational experience—very few other occasions can so profitably be utilized for the interchange of ideas and information among students and between students and elders.”
Students wait in line in the servery before choosing a table to sit at in their respective sections. By Rebecca Han ’10
