Graphic by Yoyo Zhang and Sesame Gaetsaloe/The Choate News
When Choate students returned to campus after the Covid-19 shutdown, the School’s SAGE dining system was modified to adapt to new infection prevention guidelines. While students pre-pandemic could freely travel to and from the Dining Hall, new social distancing guidelines have forced the community to make many adjustments when it comes to dining post-quarantine at Choate.
During the quarantine period when students first returned to campus prior to the School’s transition into in-person classes, all three meals of the day were delivered by SAGE workers to each dorm on campus — with the exception of students from Hall, West Wing, and Library, who picked up their meals directly from Hill House.
While breakfast and lunch mostly consisted of simple, quick meals like bagels and sandwiches, dinner consisted of hot meals closer to the pre-pandemic dinners at Choate. As the School shifted from quarantine to warning level orange, or moderate risk, and students returned to in-person classes, various dining areas have opened around campus to accommodate both boarders and day students.
Students are assigned specific times and dining locations based on their class schedule. Meals are served in Hill House (in three separate sections), St. John Hall, Lanphier Center, Ruutz-Rees, and the gallery of the Paul Mellon Arts Center, where students can choose to take out or dine-in. Additionally, a snack is delivered to dorms in the evenings.
Some students are finding the Covid-19 dining system difficult to manage along with their social lives. Ral Nwogbo ’23 said, “I haven’t known the traditional Choate dining experience, but I miss being able to hang out with my friends and being able to eat with them, especially because it’s so difficult to coordinate dining schedules with friends.”
The new dining system has also impacted SAGE workers, who have worked to not only deliver breakfast and late-night snacks to boarding students during and after the quarantine period but also provide food for students in seven dining locations across campus.
Ruby Cameron ’23 said, “After being in quarantine for so long, I have come to realize how much the SAGE workers do for us. I am so grateful for all the work they have done with the meals post-quarantine, especially with the added confusion and stress of Covid-19.”
As for dining plans moving forward, the administration recently decided to begin serving hot breakfast throughout the week. Dean of Students Mr. Mike Velez ’00 announced that modified breakfast will be served in the Tuck Shop and all Hill House dining locations Monday through Friday. In addition, SAGE will serve a continental breakfast daily in the Hill House 3 dining location.
As the School continues adjusting to its “Orange” alert level, SAGE is working hard alongside the many new changes and guidelines to provide safe but nutritious meals for the Choate community.
