Andrew Gutman
Features Editor
As students eagerly approach Cheney Dining Hall exhausted from hours of studying, they are greeted by a wall of peers. This mass of Springfield College students is all that stands in the way of mountains of free food that await these new arrivals. This breakfast buffet is an alluring temptation for students that anxiously look on with rumbling stomachs as Springfield College faculty and staff prepare their meals late into the night. Eggs sizzle as they hit the pan, only to be greeted by a pile of meat and veggies before they are concocted into breakfast burritos.
Late Night Breakfast is back.
The breakfast, held from 10-12 a.m., has been a staple here at Springfield College for eight years. Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Affairs David Braverman brought Late Night Breakfast – originally Midnight Breakfast – from his old institution, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, as a fun way to give back to students.
Terry Vecchio, vice president for Student Affairs, is one of the faculty members who has been a part of Late Night Breakfast since the beginning.
“I think the faculty and staff who do it really enjoy the experience. It is good to interact with students in a really different way,” said Vecchio. “I love seeing students. It’s funny, when I am picking up after some students they go, ‘Oh no, you don’t have to do that.’ I say, ‘No, I want to do it. It’s my job [for the night].’”
Although Springfield is such a close-knit community, it can be easy for faculty and students to find themselves at a divide, especially around finals. Late Night Breakfast is a way for faculty to show their appreciation for students and to take the stress off of them. That doesn’t mean that the faculty members don’t have fun, too.
Over the years many of the staff have come to love the cooking process. Braverman makes his famous “nightmares,” a dish that has a bit of a kick to it, while Vecchio makes her favorite breakfast burritos. Pair all of this with live music and you have yourself a fun-packed two hours.
In charge of this year’s Late Night Breakfast is Director of Spiritual Life, David McMahon. McMahon knows that with the hectic schedule of both students and faculty, sometimes relationships can dwindle. This is a great way for staff to remind students that they are there for them.
“I think for faculty and staff it’s just about showing students as we’re heading for finals we’re thinking about them and we care about them,” said McMahon. “A lot of staff will volunteer until midnight, because we want the students to feel good and supported going into the break.”
“For me personally, and I think for a lot of the staff, some of the best interactions with students happen over the counter when we’re chatting with students, or when we go around cleaning up the students’ tables,” said McMahon. “It’s a couple of hours where we get to let our hair down and the students get to let their hair down and we get to interact in a more personal and supportive way.”
One aspect of Late Night Breakfast that will be sorely missed is President Richard B. Flynn’s famous pancake flipping. President Mary-Beth Cooper may not be at the breakfast, but is making an effort to attend despite traveling on college business. Although there is not talk yet about what her role will be, one thing is for sure: if available, Cooper will most definitely welcome this tradition with open arms.
Make sure to swing by from 10-12 p.m. this Friday to fight off the lines of students and receive your fair share of breakfast delight.