Cobber Commons- Elizabeth Hassenstab

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Elizabeth Hassenstab was Assistant Food Service director from 1960-1973 and Food Service Director from 1973-1979.

Women in Food Service at Concordia College played a significant role in student, faculty, and community life. Not only did these women work as cooks, bakers, and servers but they also served as mentors to young students of the college. These women formed strong relationships with students who were lonely, troubled, or just needed someone to talk to. Many articles found in the college newspaper are about women in Food Service that describe the dedication these women had for their work. Not only did the women contribute to the student body but they also helped with many events in the community, addressed gender-based wage discrepancies, and helped the college become more energy efficient in the kitchen. The following women are a few of the many that contributed to Concordia College.

       The cafeteria was located in Cobber Commons (Knutson Campus Center before it was renovated). This is where you could find Elizabeth Hassenstab. She was the Assistant Food Service Director from 1960-1973 and the Food Service Director from 1973-1979. (1)

       Elizabeth was hired in an interesting way. She taught at Hermantown High School (close to Duluth, MN) in 1960. When the Concordia College Band played a concert there, the high school was asked to furnish a meal for them. She was in charge of this meal and the band loved it! She was hired to be the Food Services Assistant Director on the spot by Mr. Smaby, the controller of finances for Concordia College. (2)

      

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The entrance to the Commons in the 1970s.

         Mrs. Hassenstab had 260 part-time student employees working for her and she depended on them greatly. She helped develop the new campus board plan along with other members of the Food Service Committee that consisted of both faculty and students. This committee focused on providing a balanced diet for the students. The old plan was a cafeteria style plan where every food item had a set price. Students often ran out of money using this plan. The new plan that the Food Service Committee proposed had more choices and allowed the students to eat all kinds of food instead of only having one choice. (3)

       Mrs. Hassenstab said that students working in dining services learn how to work with people and how to give and not take. She instilled many educational lessons into the students. She showed them social etiquette, table manners, and provided updated bulletin boards of healthy foods. (4)

     

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Elizabeth Hassenstab doing one of her many tasks.

       During the Ethiopian Civil War, Ethiopian students on campus were waiting anxiously to see if anything had happened to their families back home. The women of dining services brought them food and waited it out with them. The Ethiopian students were very grateful for these women and what they did for them. It showed the students that these women were willing to take time away from their family and be with them. (5)

       Mrs. Hassenstab stated in an 1985 interview that when she first started working at Concordia College in 1960, the students were restless. There was resentment between whites and blacks because at the time the college had started enrolling black students. As the Food Service Assistant Director, she did not discriminate. She hired black and foreign students. She said in an article, "I believe that every student should have the same opportunities, I don't care what race, color, or creed the student is, he or she will be treated as an equal worker here." By the end of her time at Concordia, the resentment seemed to disappear and all students got along just fine. (6)

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Elizabeth Hassenstab sitting at her desk.

        Mrs. Hassenstab was a dedicated worker. She put in 10-14 hours every day. (7) She worked in all areas of Food Service; in her office making meal plans, at the till checking student ID's, or in the kitchen supervising meal preparation. Among working in the kitchen, Elizabeth helped cater receptions in the Life Center, decorate bakery cakes, hosted small dinnners in East Complex and the Student Union, helped serve buffet dinners, The Founder's Day Dinner, the Luther League Day dinner, faculty picnics, luncheons for administration, large-scale alumni dinners, C-400 dinners, and receptions for parents of athletes. (8) On Sundays, the kitchen staff cooked big meals. These meals were so elaborate the townspeople even came to Concorida to eat.

       According to the book, Food Services in Institutions, meal planning was a very difficult task. The book describes that meal planning is the "heart" of the establishment upon which the activity is centered. Meal planning determines the foods to be purchased, the equipment and personnel needed, the work schedules, the supervision required, and is the basis for precosting food to be served. The person must also be able adjust the meal plan to those that will prepare and serve the food. Elizabeth Hassenstab was in charge of many tasks and did a good job of balancing them along with keeping healthy relationships with her staff. (9)   

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Elizabeth Hassenstab and other employees celebrating her retirement.

        Elizabeth emphasized that a liberal arts college is a great place because it is where individuals develop a well rounded attitude. She also thought taking home economics classes offered many different types of work that one would find useful in their lifetime. She enjoyed working with people, both students and adults, while at Concordia. She knew the students felt that she was hard on them because she set their goals high. It wasn't until the students graduated from college that they appreciated her high goal setting and toughness. (10)

       One student wrote to her five years after she left and said that Elizabeth saved her life because she was at the point of suicide. Elizabeth got along great with all of her students and I think partly that is because she had kids of her own. She once said, "This is the kind of work I thrive on. I like to work with young people. Perhaps it's because I have kids of my own and I can understand their thinking; their goals, and their rebellion." (11) Elizabeth will be remembered as a great role model and mentor to the students of Concordia College.