Now serving comfort to dining hall
Pink has begun to tinge the Eastern sky and all is quiet on the College of Eastern Utah Campus, until one enters the doors of the Jennifer Leavitt Student Center. The first sense to be awakened is smell, as the aroma of fresh brewed coffee tantalizes the olfactory glands.
Now, closer to the dining hall, the sounds of life, of pots and pans clanging, chairs being removed from table tops and the idle chatter of the staff, who are still waking up as they move about the myriad of tasks involved in preparing the days meals for the students who as yet are still dozing away in the dorms.
This archived article was written by: Sam Pittman
Pink has begun to tinge the Eastern sky and all is quiet on the College of Eastern Utah Campus, until one enters the doors of the Jennifer Leavitt Student Center. The first sense to be awakened is smell, as the aroma of fresh brewed coffee tantalizes the olfactory glands.
Now, closer to the dining hall, the sounds of life, of pots and pans clanging, chairs being removed from table tops and the idle chatter of the staff, who are still waking up as they move about the myriad of tasks involved in preparing the days meals for the students who as yet are still dozing away in the dorms.
This is the world of Becky Jones, head of the dining facility at CEU. She begins her day at 6 a.m., early to most of us, but routine to her. Having worked food service most of her adult life, Jones brings a wealth of experience to the table.
A mother of six, ranging in age from 26 to 16 years old, and Jones feels this is what best qualifies her for the biggest challenge the position presents; creating a menu for a variety of tastes, tastes that are constantly changing. “I have been a head cook in my own home, with my own kids, for the past 26 years.” Professionally, Jones managed the first gourmet coffee shop in Carbon County, the Mocca Express, then went on to run her own business, Becky’s Brews. During this period she was also the driving force behind “Downtown Alive”, an alliance of downtown businesses attempting to raise the consumers level of awareness regarding downtown merchants. She brings this same energy to the dining facility.
Jones wants to create a slice of home for the students, and with this in mind she wants students to know they are welcome to bring a recipe from home and she will attempt to make it just like mother would.
“One of our students asked me to make black eyed peas and collard greens last year, so I tried it and it turned out. I ended up putting it on the menu,” she said.
