Cooking with Gas and Grit: Dining Team Kept Campus Fed Through Fern

When forecasts predicted ice rivaling the 1994 ice storm that paralyzed most of north Mississippi, dining management relied on their experience from Hurricane Katrina and the pandemic. They planned ahead by ordering additional food, seeking staff volunteers to serve and finding housing arrangements close to campus.

"Ice storms provide an additional layer of complexity because they often result in power outages and make travel treacherous or impossible," said Amy Greenwood Anderson, marketing manager.

That proved to be the case with this storm. But the plan worked.

"We got our plan together and so it wasn't a surprise when it hit us," said Michael Gillespie, residential food service supervisor who is slated to graduate in May with a business degree. "We were ready to rock and roll."

Chip Moore, food service director, communicated daily with university officials such as Kathy Tidwell, manager of contractual services, and David Adkisson, assistant director of facilities-engineering services, regarding challenges his crew faced and their plans. But it was a crew of 11, including one chef, that were "boots on the ground" making things happen.

The team was led by Crystal Jones, residential food service manager, and Gillespie.

"Our team understands that when weather closes most things down, dining becomes even more essential," Greenwood Anderson said. "For many students – especially those from out of state or international students – campus is home.

"Being able to serve during challenging conditions reflects our dedication to care, consistency and community."

Jones, Gillespie and their team awoke Jan. 25 to ice covering everything, but they were ready.

Still, it took a community to execute the team's plans.

University Police Department members ushered the dining team from the Courtyard Marriott to Rebel Market to begin their mission. They discovered that Rebel Market did not have electricity – only gas.

So, they did what they could and cooked with gas that Sunday.

The crew was able to cook using only one 48-inch flattop griddle, one 48-inch grill and five stovetop burners. They were literally cooking with gas in a 9-foot area in the dark to serve those who could make it safely to the Paul B. Johnson Commons.

"Sunday was one of our biggest days here," Gillespie said.

They served 3,300 meals, all without electricity. For context, on its busiest days, Rebel Market serves around 2,500 students, faculty and staff over the course of the entire day.

"The line of people constantly wrapped around inside Rebel Market to the outside," Gillespie said.

Despite closing time being 5 p.m., the crew of 11 stayed that Sunday until everyone standing in line was fed.

"We didn't get out that night until 8:30 or 9," Gillespie said.

The 11-man crew did it all again without electricity Monday (Jan. 26) and into Tuesday (Jan. 27) afternoon, when the power was restored to claps and cheers.

But the serving continued over the next 11 days, as did the work on campus by the Department of Facilities Management cutting down fallen trees and removing ice to make campus and transit to Rebel Market safer.

To ensure there was enough food and supplies, such as to-go boxes since dishwasher could not be used, Moore and University Police Department officers used personal vehicles to transport supplies that were stored at Residential College South and the Gertrude Ford Ole Miss Student Union to Rebel Market.

Additionally, Arvevia Cannon, manager of McAlister's Deli, donated food and supplies to help feed students and workers.

The crew served 2,667 people on Jan. 26 and another 2,000 on Jan. 27. Service was not limited to students – anyone who could safely reach the Rebel Market was welcomed and fed at no cost.

The team also prepared boxed lunches for UPD officers who helped shuttle students from off campus for meals and warmth.

Additionally, Ole Miss Dining Services worked with UPD and the Lafayette County Sheriff's Department to distribute meals to individuals who could not travel. They partnered with Team Dominator to feed 150 people in the community and worked alongside the Cajun Navy to provide meals for 800 more.

They also served more than 2,000 free chicken dinners to the community on Feb. 6 at Oxford Middle School.

While it may have been a challenging time, it was also a blessing to provide comfort, said Jones, who is a parent of an Ole Miss student.

"Being a parent, if I wasn't here and was long distance, I would know how exactly that parent feels: worried about my child being miles away, hours away, no electricity, no food," she said.

"It felt really good to know that you're helping, and you're contributing to the safety and just well-being of someone else's child.

"It's a blessing to know that we went over and beyond to make sure that everyone – our guests, workers, anybody on the physical plant, faculty and staff – was accommodated and comfortable."

It reflects the spirit of the campus community, Greenwood Anderson said.

"Many of our leaders are Ole Miss graduates, so we understand that Hotty Toddy is more than a chant; it's a culture of showing up for one another," she said. "During winter storm 'Fern,' that spirit was evident in the staff who stepped forward to serve and in the university's coordinated response to keep students safe and supported.

"Our team's commitment to Ole Miss is a testament to the workers and how deeply ingrained the spirit of the institution runs in all of us."

Moore, an Ole Miss graduate who met his wife while attending the university, agreed.

"This is one of the hardest things I've ever done," Moore said. "But this is the greatest thing I've ever done because it's giving back to the community that needed it when they needed it."

Top: Josephine Toliver (right), a sous chef for Ole Miss Dining Services, helps hand out boxed chicken dinners to members of the LOU community on Feb. 6 at Oxford Middle School. The Dining Services team distributed more than 2,000 meals to people affected by the ice storm at the event. Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services