Some University Housing administrators traded in their desks and business attire for a grill and straw cowboy hats and treated students to a late-night breakfast Thursday.
Gathered around the Fire ‘n Spice Grill in the Hamilton Complex, students stressed from Dead Week studying took a break from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. to feast on plate-sized pancakes during the “Pancake Roundup.”
This is the fourth time Housing staff has put on the pancake feed, which takes place on Thursday of Dead Week each term.
“Students love it,” said Debbie Meyer, the cash operations general manager for University Housing. “I expect a couple hundred of them.”
“It’s just a social break,” said Sandy Schoonover, director of Residence Life. “There’s so many milling around and eating and laughing.”
Before the grill was fired up, six students were already standing in line.
Roughly 10 of the housing professional staff members wore white aprons and wielded large metal spatulas while flipping plate-sized pancakes.
“After about 10 minutes they really get a rhythm down,” Meyer said.
Drew Morgan, the Carson Hall complex director, caught a pancake as it flipped through the air over the grill before handing it to a student.
“It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “It’s a great way to connect with students and end the term on a positive note.”
Students purchased two plate-sized pancakes for three points on their meal plans. They were offered a variety of toppings, including whipped cream, strawberries, blackberries, bananas and syrup.
Lindsay Walsh, 18, a freshman pre-journalism major, chose bananas because of a song by Jack Johnson called “Banana Pancakes.”
“Every girl wants to be serenaded by Jack Johnson,” she said. “And be made pancakes by him.”
“Breakfast at night, what more could you want?” asked Brittany Speer, 19, a freshman pre-business administration major.
She said she hadn’t started studying yet, but expected to do more during Finals Week.
“I only have two finals,” she said. “It’s going to be a pretty good finals week considering it’s my first term.”
Hayley Dixon, 19, a sophomore theater arts major, said it was her fourth time attending a pancake feed.
“They taste better every time,” she said.
The pancake feeds started in fall 2004, after Heather Dumas-Dyer, the Bean Complex director, proposed the idea to other complex directors.
“I thought it would be a good opportunity for the professional staff to spend time with the students,” she said. “I enjoy the fun atmosphere. It’s something social and positive before finals.”
The room was filled with the hum of students talking and eating. At one point, Dustin O. Donnell, 21, an English major, led the entire room in an impromptu sing-along of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” He stood on a chair wearing his black peacoat and waved his arms like an orchestra conductor. The whole room joined in, complete with little quips such as, “like a light bulb,” to describe Rudolph’s shiny nose.
“We decided that the atmosphere was such that we could get everyone to sing,” he said.
Many of the students said they would come again next term.
“I think it’s cool,” said Ryan Spiker, 17, a freshman. “It’s like a social hour at the strangest hour.”