2008 Woodie Awards
In Their Shoes
What it's like to walk a day in someone else's shoes.
By: Stephanie Tyrpak
Issue date: 1/31/07 Section: Entertainment & Features
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Staff Writer
It's still dark outside when the first people enter Todd Dining Hall at 5 a.m. to begin breakfast set-up. Weekday breakfast opens at 7 a.m. for the early-rising students of North Greenville University. Almost fifteen long hours later, it's again dark when the last Todd Dining Hall workers leave work between 8:30 and 11 p.m.
Some students give a greeting to that person who swipes their card each meal. Some students chat with the person who dishes out their food. A majority of North Greenville students will enter the Todd Dining Hall without ever realizing the work or the people that are required feed to this campus.
Wesley Moultrop is just one of many employees who keeps Todd Dining Hall running. She is married and has four daughters. Her husband is a carpenter. Two of her daughters are married, one daughter attends NGU and one daughter is in high school. She has been working for the Todd Dining Hall for almost a year.
Moultrop's workday usually begins around 1 p.m. when she punches in and begins working the register. As lunch comes to an end, she begins wiping tables and making sure that all of the dishes have made it to the kitchen to be washed. She then sweeps or vacuums the dining hall floors before taking her break before dinner. Before students are allowed into the dining hall, Moultrop signs back into the register, checks on the cafeteria tables, and helps in the set-up of the dessert bar, salad bar, and pizza bar. At a quarter to five, she unlocks the doors of the Todd Dining Hall as the first students arrive for dinner.
Moultrop normally runs the cash register and swipes students' cards during the evening shift. When the last students leave dinner around 7 p.m., she begins working with the other cafeteria employees to clean up the Todd Dining Hall for the last time that day. Moultrop usually finishes cleaning and checks out between 8:30 and 9 p.m. However, if a catered event is being held in the Todd Dining Hall, she and the other workers may have to serve, clean and work as late as 11 p.m.
A lot of people come in at 5 a.m. and don't leave until 8 to 9 at night," said Sandra Oliver, supervisor Friday through Monday.
Moultrop works at the Todd Dining Hall for a variety of reasons. She found her job at the cafeteria when a fellow employee informed her of an upcoming job opening. She describes her relationship with her co-workers as a big family. Each member of the Todd Dining Hall staff family works together to finish whatever jobs may need to be done to keep the cafeteria running smoothly.
Moultrop's favorite part about working in a university cafeteria is the opportunity to interact with the students. She loves talking to the students of North Greenville and recognizes a majority of students by name or face. Her outgoing personality makes her easily recognizable to many of the North Greenville students as well. Hopefully the students of NGU will take the time to greet the cafeteria employees during each day in the life of a Todd Dining Hall worker.
"I just feel so blessed to be here. I've been here for eight years after two years being at Furman. I hope the kids appreciate it as much as we do," said Jackie Simmons, supervisor Tuesday through Thursday.
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