Due to the increasing severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, Choate will continue the spring term virtually. Sadly, this means that many on-campus activities such as sports, clubs, and productions will be suspended. It is tragic that such integral parts of campus life will not be able to continue, but many students are concerned about a far greater issue: dining hall duty. While the initial plan was to suspend it along with these other programs, due to the hard work of the school administration and the Dining Hall Advisory Committee, dining hall duty is thankfully set to continue virtually for the spring term. After all, dining hall aides are the pillars that hold up the Choate community. To lose them would be to lose the school’s identity. After much rallying, Zoom-bombing, and a Change.org petition, the honor of being a dining hall aide was bestowed upon a few lucky students for the spring term. Hopefully they will be able to continue the legacy of past aides, albeit away from campus.

Of course, the actual duties of a dining hall aide look a bit different virtually. For starters, aides do not actually work in the dining hall. Instead, they focus on cleaning up in their homes. First, they watch a few clips of SAGE cooking videos to build an atmosphere similar to that of the dining hall. Then, a dining hall aide will sign into a Zoom room secured by a fifty character password and a host for maximum security. Students are encouraged to use a Choate-provided dining hall Zoom background during the meeting. Lastly, they proceed to grab whatever chemicals they need and wipe down any surfaces requiring cleaning. After thirty glorious minutes of serving the community, the Zoom room automatically closes before changing to a new password, and the students are left empty-handed until they have dining hall duty again. Despite the emptiness most students feel without the dining hall and more importantly, dining hall aides, the administration feels confident that this modified program will help fill this void.

During an interview with Lorem Ipsum*, dining hall aide Liesel D. Sinfektant ‘23 told reporters, “I was absolutely ecstatic to become a virtual dining hall aide. There is nothing I love more than the pure satisfaction of cleaning a table, and this is one of the most exciting parts of my Choate experience.” Another student, Chlorocks Bleech ‘23, told Lorem Ipsum*, “We have a maid that usually cleans our house, so I’ve taken to cleaning the tables of restaurants. I haven’t really gotten to do much cleaning though. For some reason, most restaurants are closed, so I can’t get inside to clean. The restaurants that are open have people yelling at me, ‘take-out only!’ and it’s like, dude, I’m trying to do something nice?! I just don’t get it.”

         A final story of hope and perseverance in a trying time comes from Veritably Cleen ‘20. Cleen told reporters, “I was really worried I wouldn’t be able to be a dining hall aide during my time at Choate. All of my older siblings were dining hall aides, my grandpa was a dining hall aide, heck, my parents met as dining hall aides! I already had to wait for four years, and now COVID-19 was going to ruin my moment.” With watery eyes, he continued, “I’m just so happy to be able to clean! It doesn’t matter whether or not I get to go to Last Hurrah or graduation. Now that I’m a dining hall aide, my Choate journey is complete.”

Overall, seeing how the dining hall aides continue on during the COVID-19 crisis provides hope for the community. The dining hall aides put blood, sweat, and tears into their work, even from afar. These brave souls are what carry the entire school community during these difficult times. The use of virtual dining hall aides will revolutionize not only dining hall duty but how Choate functions as a whole moving forward. Dining hall aides are the glue that holds the Choate community together. Their dedication and sacrifices are what strengthens our virtual bonds. Lorem Ipsum* would like to thank dining hall aides for their service, because without them, the Hall part of Choate Rosemary Hall would likely be in need of a good Swiffer-ing.