What's Baking in the SODA Center?

When most people hear the words "soda center", they probably think of a hub for sugary soft-drinks, but at Saint Mary's we think differently. The Soda Activity Center at Saint Mary's is a campus facility used to host educational, religious, cultural, social and political events for both internal and external audiences. The Soda Center is a place where many new ideas are generated and great speakers come to share their perspective on important issues. But as we all know, the easiest way to pull in an audience at a college campus is to provide FOOD. This is where Sodexo makes its name.

Sodexo is the exclusive on-site contractor for food service at Saint Mary’s College. They have been serving the campus for over thirty-five years, and are able to offer both experience and fresh ideas to ensure that an event goes perfectly.

While most of us show up just in time for an event and leave right when it ends (sometimes before), the Sodexo staff is there to prep for an event, and stays long after the event is finished. Team Ice-T is digging deeper into what it takes to be a part of the Sodexo Catering staff, the amount of prep and closing time they spend for an event, and what goes on behind the scenes while an event is in progress.

Thus far, we have talked to Humberto Lopez, the Catering Manager at Saint Mary's, who is responsible for all Catering events held on Campus, especially in the Soda Center. He has agreed to let us capture some video footage at a few events this semester, and to take a look in the kitchen to see the preparation process. You can check out our "Ice-T in the Soda Center" page to see some interesting pictures taken at the Soda Center and in the Sodexo kitchen. This will be updated as more photos are documented.

Although we have done well communicating and asking permission of the man in charge, it is difficult to decide which events we want to film. Every event is different at the Soda Center, and the Sodexo staff's responsibility changes based on the number of people attending, the complexity of the food requests, and the type of audience involved.

Documenting the responsibilities of the Sodexo staff is still in progress, and the filming has not yet begun, so stay tuned for any updates on our struggles and successes!

Again, here are some pictures from the Soda Center!