The Food Must Go On!

Chartwells’ Emergency Plan along with student workers ensure Covenant students get fed over snowy weekend.

Whether it be a burning train at the bottom of Lookout Mountain or trees heavy-laden with ice falling across roads, never fear, Chartwells will still provide, thanks to the dedication of John Armstrong, his fellow student work-study workers, Chartwells Director Bob Agee, and Assistant Director Greg Thibodeau.

As part of Chartwells’ emergency-preparedness plan, one work-study student is on call if bad weather threatens. As snow and ice began to accumulate on the mountain Friday night, the emergency plan went into action.

“We have enough single service items to supply 3,000 to 4,000 students,” Chartwells Director Bob Agee said. “Plus, we have about three days supply of food along with contingency plans for power outages and equipment failures.”

Chartwells workers struggled to make it to their homes down the mountain through the snow and ice Friday night. Sophomore work-study student John Armstrong was told that he was in charge of making sure Covenant students were fed breakfast the next morning.

“I had been warned that this might happen on Thursday night,” Armstrong said.

At 6:45 a.m. Saturday morning, Armstrong arrived at the Great Hall to begin getting cold breakfast items together before the doors opened at eight.

“We had bagels and other cold food items and yesterday (Friday) the regular employees made muffins and cinnamon rolls,” Armstrong said. “So we put all that out and cut up some fruit.”

Sophomore work-study student Adam Clason arrived at work early Saturday morning as usual, except only Armstrong and one other student worker were there.

“We were on our own for about two and a half hours,” Clason said, wiping down the kitchen after the lunch rush, obviously tired.

Freshman Jac Villagonzalo planned to spend his snowy Saturday off work, in bed and playing outside, but as snow turned to freezing rain Friday night, Armstrong asked to him to be on call to work in the morning.

“John called me at exactly 6:58 this morning,” Villagonzalo said, laughing. “He was my alarm clock.”

At 8 a.m. Saturday morning, Director Bob Agee started up the mountain, dodging fallen trees as he passed cars which had slid into ditches along the road. Lookout Mountain and Chattanooga police were preoccupied with a train derailment on Cummings Highway. Also, a sand truck had just begun work on Lookout Mountain Roads. After finding a tree completely blocking the road, Agee abandoned his car and walked the last half mile to campus.

“I arrived on campus about a quarter to nine and we got the hot food out at about 10:15,” Agee said, sipping a Diet Coke as he took a quick break from washing dishes and preparing food. “We served about 300 to 400 students for brunch.”

Thibodeau arrived on campus and took over operations for the Saturday evening meal, relieving Agee and Armstrong, which gave them a chance to rest before they repeated the process on Sunday. “I’m not Greg,” Armstrong said with a smile.

Even if he’s not Greg, Armstrong’s service and that of his fellow workers is reason enough for making Chartwells’ slogan “The Food Must Go On!”