By Anna Corbett, Staff Writer
There’s someone new in charge of Mabee Dining Center this year.
Kelli Griffin, who has worked in various roles in food services at Newman for 12 years, has just taken over for former director Chris Heck, who left after 10 years and has accepted a job as vice president for food services at TapsNPaddles, a new pickleball venue under construction in northeast Wichita.
Griffin said that over the last three years, she’s learned everything about the structure of Newman's dining hall.
So what changes should students expect to see in the dining hall this year?
Griffin said that plenty of additions will be made due to student requests, including some decorative changes.
“I would love to see some new kind of change in here,” she said. “You guys spend the majority of your day in here and it's not somewhere that you want to hang out.”
She mentioned the possibility of collaboration with the art department on a mural in the center, and she hopes to make a few design choices that make Mabee feel a bit more like home.
She said she’d like to hear from members of the student body who have ideas for dining center decor. They can email her at foodservices@newmanu.edu
Sophomore Anna Lobmeyer said that she’s already noticed improvements in the cafeteria under Griffin’s watch.
One she mentioned was the addition of labels to identify food and make lines go faster. She also mentioned how exciting it was to see new foods offered on the menu, including variations on salads, such as tuna and potato.
“I think there have been lots of fun things to try,” Lobmeyer said.
PHOTO: Dannicka McGrath, Photographer
