It is Tuesday, and you know what that means, another session of exploring the unique social balance of the place where camp meets up three times a day, the dining hall.
Dessert:
Ice cream, popsicles, chocolate cake, and many more classic sweet treats are passed out (one at a time of course) after dinner, every day of the session. Like most dining hall rituals, dessert also has its own set of rules that always apply. The person who brings up the bin (the collection of dirty utensils, plates, and platters) always gets to have the first pick for dessert when it applies. Everyone is guaranteed the same size ice cream sandwich, but when it comes to slices of a brownie, the 'bin taker-upper' has done the most work and gets their pick first. But then the game changes.
Some let the person who took up the pitchers go, rewarding those who have cleaned up. Others then make it a free for all of grabbing and overall bedlam. Then comes the challenge of deciding who gets the extra slice of cake or popsicle when a table has less than 10 people. I must say my personal message of choice is some good ol' Rock, Paper, Scissors but colleagues of mine prefer other methods.
Regardless, everyone gets some sort of delectable snack after every dinner to help power us through evening periods or activities.
Join me next week as we tackle the epitome of competition in the dining hall: The Silent Meal.
Until then,
Nathan Grossman
Eater/Dining Hall Enthusiast
