Carmichael goes to the beach

There's nothing like a day at the beach to combat the winter blues. Though Carmichael Dining Hall's Feb. 6 "Beach Party" wasn't quite as therapeutic as lounging on the sand while the sun shines and the surf crashes, it did provide University students with a way to break the chilly monotony.

"It's the little things you can do," said Carmichael Unit Manager Dave Kelley as he watched students mill around Carmichael during the beach party dinner.

Themed events like the beach party, banana night, and Hanukkah night used to happen only at Dewick Dining Hall. When Kelley was transferred from Dewick to Carmichael in Sept. 2002, however, he brought the eight-year theme night tradition uphill with him.

"[Beach night] can at least make the illusion that we are somewhere warmer than frigid Boston," freshman Lisa Miller said. "[Themed nights] spice it up a little bit so that we don't get bored with going to the dining hall for the same food and the same atmosphere every night."

Stepping into Carmichael's beach party night provided an interesting contrast for the students who, only minutes before, were pushing their chins as far into their coats as they could. After having their ID cards swiped, students walked through a maze of beach balls, beach towels, and seashells.

Beach night was unique not only because of themed decorations, but also because of the special menu. Each station included summertime favorites like mahi-mahi skewers, popcorn shrimp, BBQ chicken ribs, and tropical fruit punch. For those who students just wanted a regular dinner, normal food was also served.

"Themed nights at Carmichael are what make eating uphill worthwhile," freshman Daniela Fairchild said. "That, and the fact that Carmichael is so much classier than Dewick."

But many students disagree with Fairchild in terms of Dewick's classiness, and they also don't share her enthusiasm for themed dining events.

When senior Jacob Cohen was an underclassman, he attended some of Dewick's themed nights. He acknowledges that the themed nights broke the monotony of the regular menu, but said that "[he doesn't] think they serve any purpose."

Many other students who regularly eat at Dewick express the same indifference towards themed nights.

"When I eat in a Tufts dining hall, I'm not looking for an amazing dining experience," freshman Sarah Samuelson said. "Decorations and themes aren't an incentive to trek uphill. If the themed nights were at Dewick though, I'd probably go."

Though theme nights don't generally spur students to attend the dining hall further away from their residence, Kelley is not worried about theme night attendance.

"Accounts are up in general," Kelley said. "On any given theme night at Carmichael, we get about 800 to 900 people."

Though the organization of theme events like beach party night is left to the Carmichael staff, students play a role as well.

"We get tons of student feedback each night we do something like this," Kelley said, adding that it was students who suggested a beach night during the winter in the first place.

Once the event date was decided upon, the entire dining hall staff searched their homes for any props related to summertime theme. Sometimes, companies donate products for the theme nights.

For Carmichael's banana night, the Hall Smith Company donated ten cases of bananas, which would have normally cost up to $20 per case.

Kelley estimates that six or seven more theme nights will take place at Carmichael this semester. Upcoming themes include an "Under the Boardwalk" night, an Atlantic City-themed night, and a Mardi Gras-themed night.

Through Beach Party night, Kelley and his crew succeeded in creating a portal to the sandy beaches of summertime, even if it only lasted for the length of a meal.