By Sarah Robinson
Special to the Florida State Times
Way back in the mists of time, even before college students quit trusting
anyone over 30, the university served in loco parentis (in place of parents).
There was a dean of men and a dean of women and no coed dorms. Just about
everybody lived on campus or very nearby, and parking was no problem.
In those days, students and professors were likely to rub shoulders at the old Mecca or Sweet Shop, share a sandwich and converse. It is a tradition that has gone the way of drive-in movies and downtown shopping.
Now, though, a '90s version of the tradition has been revived on campus. It even has a name: "Food for Thought."
The brainchild of a group of administrators, faculty members and student leaders on retreat at Wakulla Springs in February 1994, the program encourages professors to ask a student to lunch.
"It was an idea we came to in looking for ways to re-create the positive experiences we had had as students," said Elizabeth Muhlenfeld, dean of undergraduate studies and a catalyst for getting the program off the ground.
"I remember sitting at the snack bar at the college I went to (Goucher College in Baltimore) talking to faculty over muffins and coffee," she said. "There were only 1,000 students, and it just happened naturally. We were looking for ways to recapture that."
During October, faculty and students dining together could have lunch at the Crossroads Cafe and Food Court for only $2.50 each. It is a joint effort of Student Government, Marriott Food Services and the Division of Undergraduate Studies.
Dianne Montgomery, dean of the School of Social Work, didn't need the inspiration of a formal program. Since she became dean last year, Montgomery has made a year-round habit of doing what Muhlenfeld hopes all faculty will do -- regularly inviting students to lunch. Montgomery estimates that she's eaten with 60 or 70 students since1994.
"I wanted a forum for continuing contact with students," Montgomery said. "Most of the time when I see students as the dean, it's to deal with problems of some kind. This provides a more informal way to get to know our students.
"It's actually been wonderful. It's just been very nice to sit and chat with students and find out more about them, where they're from and what their career goals are."
She said the lunches are sometimes the highlight of her week.
"I would hope that they would see me as a normal person that they can talk to and feel comfortable with, not an intimidating person."
That's what happened with Kelly Silva, a social work student who had lunch with Montgomery.
"You know how as a student you sometimes get the feeling that you're beneath them (the faculty and administrators)?" Silva said. "She was nothing like that.
"It was nice. It makes me feel like I'm more at home already.
"Mostly we talked about us (students) --she wanted to know about us... I asked her about her undergraduate studies, and we talked about how the whole country's feelings about poor people go in cycles from blaming the individual to blaming the society."
Asked if she would recommend it to other students, Silva said, "Absolutely!"