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December 13, 2020CHASERS, MEALS, AND STUDENT DINING ROOM SERVICE: What was the style of dining used in the Academy before our present method? [Fr. William Wewers, class of ’59, was gracious enough to provide the following with a little assist from some other monks]: The Students ate what was called “Family Style.” There were six boys to a table. Each table had a senior who was table captain. The other five were lower classmen with freshmen spread out among the tables (side note: The day students did not eat lunch with the boarders as they usually brown bagged their lunch. They ate in the area where the current serving line for the cafeteria is located). The scholastics—boys in minor seminary—were seated along the south wall by the windows. They followed the same seating arrangement as boarders. Students congregated outside the dining room center door; there was only one entrance to the dining room. A prefect, dean, or principal would open the door when the food was on the tables BUT ONLY when the assembled students were quiet—no talking or other noise. If while entering the dining room the students were talking again everyone was required to go back outside and wait until they were quiet. This could happen more than once. The offending student(s) would be “corrected” by upper classmen later. Once students were at their places the prefect would lead the meal prayer. Only then were students permitted to sit and start eating. Talking was permitted but no loud or boisterous noise. When students were finished eating—generally about 20 minutes— the prefect would ring a bell for silence and then announcements were made pertaining to events after the meal. The bell was rung again for silence, everyone stood, and then the final prayer was prayed. Silence after that and a final gong would allow students to leave. This procedure applied to all meals including breakfast. This routine was followed until the students ate cafeteria style which commenced with the new school year in 1960. In the family style, the food was dished out in the kitchen by kitchen workers and sisters for every table. Each table got the same “menu.” One of the included photos shows the “chasers” (table waiters assigned to wait three tables) taking food from the wagon (there were three of those) and placing the food on the table. This was done before the doors were later opened by a prefect.The “chasers” were almost always scholastics. Scholastics were required to work at various tasks—kitchen worker, dishwasher, chasers, or candy store. Some were assigned to help with cleaning Alumni hall after class each day. Every scholastic—called scho—had to have a job. So, the chaser had to wait on the tables assigned him. This duty required him “chasing” down more food from other tables, getting more bread, or milk. Chasing meant he would go to other tables asking if the table wanted the food he was chasing for: “You guys want the green beans?” The senior at the table would decide if the chaser could have the food. Chasers had to make do with the leftovers on the other tables. After the meal, the chasers would clear the tables of bowls, plates, glasses, silverware, and “slop bowls.” He would then take them to the dishwasher where another crew would wash. They would then remove the tablecloths, take them outside by the back steps leading to back door of monastery, and shake them out. If milk or tea was split, they put the tablecloth back on the offending table where the spill had occurred. They were also responsible for setting the table for the next meal before they were released. The crew that worked in the kitchen—four boys—were responsible for sweeping the floor every night, every other week. Wednesday night the floor was mopped between tables and aisles. On Saturdays, chairs were placed on tables so that the floor under tables and aisles could be mopped. Chasers had to come in early before lunch and place chairs properly, put on clean tablecloths, and set tables for lunch. Unlike today’s use of paper napkins, there was no use of either cloth or paper napkins then. As for meals, breakfast consisted of cold cereal (hot cereal in winter sometimes), bread, two quarts of whole milk, butter, and coffee. Fried eggs were served on Fridays. Meat was not always a daily staple; sausage on Sunday, fried bologna on Saturday, and maybe bacon once a week. Homemade Bread from our bakery and Whole Milk from Holstein cows with rich cream on top (two quarts per table) were always plentiful. Each table had pepper and salt, sugar, and molasses. Lunch was a full course meal; meat of some sort, one vegetable, bread, blue john milk (noon meal always had blue john milk which was skimmed milk where the cream had been separated at the dairy barn each morning). The cream was used to make butter and ice cream. The cream was thick from the Holstein cows (some 36 cows milked twice daily). Evening milking was served at other meals with the rich cream on top. Seniors always got first grab at the cream. Supper was a full course meal—no salad—but meat, one vegetable and potatoes, bread, and desserts frequently. Each table was served a big stainless-steel pitcher of sweet tea—year-round. The entire operation was managed by Father Paul Hoedebeck who was assigned in 1944 as Supervisor of the Student Dining Room and served for twenty years until followed by Fr. Sebastian Beshoner. The Sisters of St. Scholastica served as the “Cook Sisters” until 1966. Subiaco Abbey and Academy… ONWARD TOGETHER!
