The Student Perspective

Jordan Jones Participates in the 2020 Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference

Back in June, one of our very own student staff members sat on a panel for the 2020 Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference. Jordan Jones is a rising 4th year Biology major and has worked the front desk for the main HDAE office for the last two years. He has lived in UCSB housing for his first three years, most recently in San Rafael, and enjoys going to the dining commons and trying all the new culinary creations they routinely offer. He did a fantastic job contributing to the student perspective on returning to campus and enjoying Campus Dining. 

The panel hosted students from universities across the United States to give their feedback as to what dining might look like when students return, considering the impacts of COVID-19. Overall, the students were eager to get back to their campuses and return to their dining commons. Some highlights of the conversation focused on managing the crowding that typically occurs in dining commons and encouraging takeout meals. 

The panel confirmed that UCSB Campus Dining is ahead of the game in anticipating student needs in dining on campus. While the students understood coming back to campus will require some adjustment on their part, they all felt it was a worthwhile sacrifice to protect everyone and contribute to a great campus experience. 

One of our Dining staff members, Registered Dietitian Danielle Sinclair, reflected on the conference. "The Virtual Chef Culinary Conference was an excellent conference that focused on innovative communication and storytelling during a pandemic. We also heard from students about their expectations for reopening. I appreciated learning from both senior leadership and students."