University life offers a full measure of growth and challenge, suggests Ed Janzen in his feature article on the previous page. It’s about adversity management, he says, and according to the research, a roommate provides a protective layer. Roommates are like sunscreen—they can let the warmth in but keep the ‘hurt’ at bay.
Eating together seems to have a similar effect. According to various studies, sharing in meals provides a sense of support and belonging, a sense of connectedness and the feeling that one matters. T.C Foster, in his book How to Read Literature like a Professor (2003) says, “Eating with another is a way of saying, I’m with you, I like you, we form a community together.”
This is not trivial in the psyche of a student living independently from their families. A student’s sense of belonging is important and correlates to their capacity to flourish. It is linked to their academic achievement, perseverance, and wellbeing. Research shows that students who eat together are happier, more satisfied, more engaged, and have a larger circle of friends with whom they garner support.
Grebel’s founding President Winfield Fretz seemed to know this. He wanted round tables for six and set meal times so students would dine together. Grebel’s 1964 Residence Handbook addresses his vision: “Each student will take an assigned dinner table for a two-week period to provide a relaxed opportunity for table conversation, thereby building a sense of community and enabling students to get well-acquainted with each other and thus develop a genuine student fellowship.” For Fretz, the dining room was a gathering hub where the community could meet to enjoy shared interdependence and connectedness.
Fifty-six years later, Grebel’s dining practices are still intentional and considered important for the health of the community and the wellbeing of its students. Fretz’s vision is enriched by even more deliberate table practices. Every Wednesday at 5:30 faculty, staff, and students commit to gathering together for Community Supper. Students are encouraged to be phoneless at all meal times. Late suppers are served only on the half-hour so that a cluster can gather to dine. When numbers are low, students push the tables together to eat family style, always willing to welcome another. And, our fill-the-first-empty-chair practice is significant.
“The dining room was the most stressful place in my other residence,” said transfer student Hayden Epp. “I was constantly concerned about who to sit with and would anxiously scan for friends. If I didn’t see someone I knew, I’d go to my room and eat alone.” Grebel’s fill-the-table culture means students don’t have to fear the dining room; they never have to eat alone.
In a time when fast food dominates university culture and cafeterias focus on eat-and-run, multiple options, 24/7 service, and seating that allows one to sit alone, Grebel’s dining practices are intentionally different. Students know there will be a place for them at the table, and that all are welcome. Body, soul, and spirit are nourished, and students experience the wellbeing that comes with knowing they belong.
