By Andrew Huang ’15, Staff Writer

To many Newark Academy students, certain cafeteria features such as the salad bar and frozen yogurt machine are distinct parts of student life. As Michael Lee ’15 described, “Froyo makes the Newark Academy cafeteria different. There’s something to look forward to on Thursdays and Fridays that shakes things up a bit.” Sights of long lines at the frozen yogurt machine and whole tables of students eating salads are integral to the Newark Academy dining experience.

Yet recent changes to these elements of the cafeteria have spurred discussion. In particular, the recent ‘Twelve Days of Froyo” event sparked much interest from the student body. Adam Branovan ’16 stated, “It was a fun change of pace. I really liked most of the flavors, especially thin mint.” Certainly, the sheer quantity of new, unique flavors we have seen since the event is unprecedented. Upper schoolers likely recall the days when all that the frozen yogurt machine had to offer was plain old vanilla and chocolate, with strawberry and cookies & cream being the only other flavors to occasionally make an appearance.

Some have speculated that the source of this particular change is from student suggestions, or from the Food Task Force that was launched last school year. However, the idea came from Mr. Brower himself. He explained, “Before, all the distributors I tried only had two or three flavors. But I’m always looking for different things. So I found a distributor that carried all those flavors, a guy who distributes to all the yogurt places. I thought that was fun, to coordinate the event with the twelve days of Christmas.” Indeed, some of the exotic flavors now being offered, such as ‘chocolate turtle’ and ‘fudge brownie batter’ seem like something right out of a frozen yogurt establishment such as Red Mango or Cups.

Though many students assumed that the Food Task Force was involved with the event, the group was actually retired in February 2013. Ex-member Soven Bery ’15 explained, “Our charge was to assess the food situation and send recommendations to the school by February 2013; that was the timeline of the group.” But while the task force has been disbanded for almost a year, their legacy still remains. For example, the salad bar has been heavily revamped in the last year with additions such as chicken, pepper grinders, and salad bowls, all changes that Mr. Brower credits to the task force. Gone are the days of attempting to keep a salad from spilling out from a flat plate, or having to do without chicken for lunch. As Bery summarized, “I hope it [the task force] was successful. I think many of the recommendations we gave were implemented.”

Whether through student suggestions or Mr. Brower himself, changes to the cafeteria continue to distinguish and expand the Newark Academy dining experience. Even after the conclusion of the holiday event, new and exciting frozen yogurt flavors continue to be offered. Mr. Brower has mentioned the possibility of further additions to the cafeteria, such as lunch events coinciding with significant dates. “We’re going to do a tailgate party for the last Friday lunch of this month to coincide with the Super Bowl, with wings and chili, froyo toppings, and maybe even a NFL highlights reel playing on the TV’s,” he said. Even without a long-term designated group to implement new ideas, the Newark Academy dining hall has evolved, becoming more than a place to stop by for a traditional hot lunch. Thanks to some creative students and a passionate staff, lunchtime contributes to Newark Academy’s vibrant student life and school culture. Hopefully this trend towards positive and unique changes to the cafeteria will continue for years to come.