Chestnut Residence / en In photos: 91勛圖 students make a much-anticipated return to campus /news/photos-u-t-students-make-much-anticipated-return-campus <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">In photos: 91勛圖 students make a much-anticipated return to campus</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/0903UTMResidenceMoveIn008-crop_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=H8jkyAsF 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/0903UTMResidenceMoveIn008-crop_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=42l2GE_A 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/0903UTMResidenceMoveIn008-crop_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=W_AzWl-c 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/0903UTMResidenceMoveIn008-crop_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=H8jkyAsF" alt="a pair of students, helped by a volunteer, bring their belongings to residence at UTM"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>davidlee</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2021-09-08T11:03:22-04:00" title="Wednesday, September 8, 2021 - 11:03" class="datetime">Wed, 09/08/2021 - 11:03</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Students move in ahead of the first day of classes at 91勛圖 Mississauga this week (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chestnut-residence" hreflang="en">Chestnut Residence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utogether" hreflang="en">UTogether</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-students" hreflang="en">Graduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-george" hreflang="en">St. George</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">91勛圖 Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">91勛圖 Scarborough</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/undergraduate-students" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/victoria-college" hreflang="en">Victoria College</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Students returned to the 91勛圖s three campuses this week,&nbsp;many with suitcases in tow&nbsp; and at least one who wheeled her way back to school on roller skates.</p> <p>While move-in days&nbsp;at residences looked a little different than they did before the pandemic, there was a familiar element: the palpable excitement as students got their first glimpse of their new digs and met other students&nbsp;who could well become lifelong friends.&nbsp;</p> <p>The following images were captured by 91勛圖 Communications photographers who visited residences on each&nbsp;campus to document the prelude&nbsp;to another school year.</p> <hr> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/0U1A1165-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>(Photo by Dylan Toombs)</em></p> <p>There was a warm welcome on hand at 91勛圖 Scarboroughs Joan Foley Hall, which overlooks the scenic Highland Creek Valley.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/0903UTMResidenceMoveIn003-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>(Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</em></p> <p>Many students received a helping hand from friends, relatives and student-volunteers in blue t-shirts&nbsp;as they moved into their rooms at 91勛圖 Mississauga.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="two students smile for the camera at the 91勛圖 Scarborough campus" src="/sites/default/files/0U1A1217-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>(Photo by Dylan Toombs)</em></p> <p>A sunny day matched the mood at 91勛圖 Scarborough as students got settled in their dorms.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="Victoria College quad. Burwash Hall in the background." src="/sites/default/files/DSC_0354.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>(Photo by Diana Tyszko)</em></p> <p>Whether youre commuting to campus or living in residence, the Victoria College Quad is a popular spot for students looking to relax and get some sun on the St. George campus.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="A staffer helps a new student check into residence at UTM" src="/sites/default/files/0903UTMResidenceMoveIn022-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>(Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</em></p> <p>Front desk staff were at the ready to answer any questions at 91勛圖 Mississauga.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/0J5A0327.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>(Photo by David Lee)</em></p> <p>Masked and physically distanced, students line up for lunch at Chestnut Residence on the St. George campus, where in-person dining has returned with a focus on cooking from scratch and made-to-order meals that use local, sustainable and&nbsp;fair trade ingredients. More plant-based options are also available for vegetarians, vegans and anyone looking to increase their intake of leafy greens and vegetables.</p> <p>Food stations are open, staff are excited to be back to work and mobile app pre-ordering is available at some locations.&nbsp;All <a href="https://foodservices.utoronto.ca/">food services</a> practices have been approved by 91勛圖's Office of Environmental Health &amp; Safety.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/087A0958-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>(Photo by Lisa Lightbourn)</em></p> <p>There's more than one way to get around the St. George campus.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/0903UTMResidenceMoveIn001-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>(Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</em></p> <p>Students bust a move on move-in day at 91勛圖 Mississauga.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="two male students carrying bags and pushing luggage as they move into residence at the 91勛圖 Scarborough campus" src="/sites/default/files/0U1A1180-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>(Photo by Dylan Toombs)</em></p> <p>Students roll in with suitcases in tow at 91勛圖 Scarborough. After a long day of moving, that&nbsp;neck pillow may come in handy.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 08 Sep 2021 15:03:22 +0000 davidlee 170238 at We treat them like our family: Food Services staff on feeding students who couldnt go home /bulletin/we-treat-them-our-family-food-services-staff-feeding-students-who-couldn-t-go-home <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">We treat them like our family: Food Services staff on feeding students who couldnt go home</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sungjimi</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2020-08-17T10:10:10-04:00" title="Monday, August 17, 2020 - 10:10" class="datetime">Mon, 08/17/2020 - 10:10</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Theres no recipe to follow when providing food to students on campus during a pandemic.&nbsp;Staff at the&nbsp;91勛圖s Food Services had to add a heavy dose of agility to processes and policies overnight to ensure students who relied on them were staying fed.</p> <p>There was a lot of uncertainty about what the future held, says <strong>Jaco Lokker</strong>, director of culinary operations and executive chef.&nbsp;</p> <p>Looking back on the early days of the pandemic, Lokker recalls that while many staff were concerned for the safety of health of their own families, they were also deeply aware of their commitment to the students who remained on campus and the importance of making sure they were looked after as well.</p> <p>Lokkers team oversees the dining programs at three residences at St. George Chestnut, New College and Campus One as well as campus catering and some retail locations. During the academic year, the team numbers at around 230 staff members. Currently, around 22 staff members are actively working to serve on average 212 meals a day. (Read stories about other 91勛圖 residences&nbsp;<a href="/news/it-really-heartening-see-how-u-t-supporting-students-residence-during-covid-19-crisis">here</a>&nbsp;and our plans for a safe return to campus&nbsp;<a href="/news/safe-space-live-study-and-stay-connected-u-t-residences-prepare-fall-semester">here</a>.)</p> <p>For many of those students, the Food Services staff were some of the few familiar faces they were able to interact with on a daily basis while isolating in their residences.</p> <p><strong>Danita Seenarine</strong>, a Food Services staff member who has worked at Chestnut Residence &amp; Conference Centre for more than 20 years, says it was important to be a comforting presence to the diners. As a frontline staff member, shes the friendly face that many students interact with when picking up their meals.</p> <p>Some students who werent able to go back home are feeling homesick, so we are making sure they feel happy to see us and know that we are here to support them, she says. I treat them as if they were my own children. We treat them like our family. Ive continued to keep up conversations with them to encourage them.</p> <p>While showing their care and kindness during those in-person interactions, the staff also devised a safe way for students to order and receive their snacks and meals.</p> <p>The menu was pared down to offer a hot or cold option in a to-go box, so that diners could pick up their meals and return to their rooms. An online menu was also created so that students could check out their meal options in advance and pick up a box, snack and drink with minimal contact.</p> <p>Lokker says it was important to make the meals something students would look forward to, from the food itself, to the opportunity for connection.</p> <p>When youre quarantined, you cant go anywhere and meals and food become all thats left in a sense, he says. We focused on bringing that extra bit of joy to our students through the dining experience, because it was probably one of the very few times that they got to interact with people in a day.</p> <p>One way the team sought to bring joy to the students was ensuring that the menu remained innovative such as a fun breakfast ramen that kept diners looking forward to their meals.&nbsp;</p> <p>The diners have been happy with the transition to the boxed meal program, because they felt that we were taking their safety seriously, says Chef <strong>Edward Low</strong>, executive chef at Chestnut.</p> <p>Some even commented that they thought the food tasted better than before, says Lokker. The quality of the food didnt change, but the students have just been getting more joy out their meals.</p> <p>In the early days of the quarantine, there were still more than 200 students living in the three residences. The staff created about 600 boxed meals a day to feed them. To accommodate that volume, the ballroom at Chestnut was converted into an assembly area, ensuring staff were working at a safe physical distance from each other while packaging the food to be shipped across campus.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Colin Porter</strong>, executive director of Food Services, says the commitment of the staff to support the students and a teamwork mindset was key to helping the office make a successful pivot once public health officials enacted strict policies at the onset of the pandemic.</p> <p>The Food Services team have truly come together and used their expertise to ensure&nbsp;our students didnt experience any disruption of service and were still able to enjoy freshly prepared meals despite the limitations of the pandemic, says Porter. Its been inspiring to&nbsp;witness how theyve all&nbsp;remained so positive throughout it all.</p> <p>I want to commend the entire Food Services team for stepping up in this time of uncertainty, says <strong>Anne MacDonald</strong>, 91勛圖s assistant vice-president of ancillary services. They should feel proud of the essential service they provided to our students.</p> <p>As the team looks ahead to the fall semester, theyve used their experiences of the past four months to prepare for the large volume of students they will be feeding. The team has been stocking up on the takeaway boxes, cutlery kits and PPE for staff.</p> <p>The entire pandemic so far has been a big learning curve for all of us, says Low. Were looking forward to meeting new students and offering them the same level of safety and service in September.</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-caption field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>We treat them like our family: Food Services staff on feeding students who couldnt go home</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Chestnut-chefs.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=J2jBHSBL 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Chestnut-chefs.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=pkxwRhqW 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Chestnut-chefs.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=bWOb2k52 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Chestnut-chefs.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=J2jBHSBL" alt="From left to right: Chef Jaco Lokker, Danita Seenarine, Chef Edward Low" title="From left to right: Chef Jaco Lokker, Danita Seenarine, Chef Edward Low"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-cutline field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">From left to right: Chef Jaco Lokker, Danita Seenarine, Chef Edward Low</div> <div class="field field--name-field-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden clearfix"> <ul class="links field__items"> <li><a href="/news/tags/food-services" hreflang="en">Food Services</a></li> <li><a href="/news/tags/st-george-campus" hreflang="en">St. George campus</a></li> <li><a href="/news/tags/residence" hreflang="en">residence</a></li> <li><a href="/news/tags/chestnut-residence" hreflang="en">Chestnut Residence</a></li> <li><a href="/news/tags/coronavirus" hreflang="en">Coronavirus</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Jenny Rodrigues</div> <div class="field field--name-field-hide field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> Mon, 17 Aug 2020 14:10:10 +0000 sungjimi 165501 at