Students Go Back in Time at SAS Progressive Dinner

On April 4, Scripps College Hall Council hosted a progressive dinner across campus and through the decades. Each dorm had its own dinner course. Toll and Clark prepared mocktails, Dorsey and Browning had healthy appetizers such as celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins, GJW and Off Campus Council teamed up to serve Subway sandwiches, Frankel and Routt supplied brownies, ice cream and cookies and Kimberly/Wilbur provided hot tea, cocoa and coffee.

Overall, the event was a smash success. Hall Council estimated turnout would be around 80 people, given the number of students who RSVPed to the dinner via Facebook. However, an hour into the two-hour long dinner, the food and drinks were nearly gone, despite the late arrival of the main course.

Like SAS snack and the now-disbanded Lights Out Study Break snacks, the Progressive Dinner was highly informal. The 6-foot Subway sandwiches were precariously positioned on the tiny GJW common room tables, all the food was self-serve and students were invited to try the different courses in any order.

Natalie Sacks, SAS Dorm Activities Chair and one of the principal organizers said, "The progressive dinner gave people a chance to chat instead of just grabbing food and leaving. Lots of people were walking around and trying out each course."

Aside from the premature end, the dinner had few problems and was met with general enthusiasm from students. Many were confused about the term "progressive dinner," the advertised course themes of different decades (e.g. 1960s mocktails, 1980s main course) wasn't apparent, and it was somewhat annoying to go to a dorm across campus to find a drink to wash down the other courses. Yet these criticisms are largely inconsequential in light of the dinner's high turnout and positive response.

In the past, Hall Council has funded pancake dinners, movie nights and other dorm activities.

 

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