The Daily OrangeIndian grad students earn extra cash at campus dining halls
By Julia Shenk
Posted: 1/27/04, 2:03 AM EST Section: Feature
India is a long way from Syracuse University's Haven Dining Center. At least it is for three graduate students - Nikhil Bhat, Raguraj Sadagopan and Raj Shetty - who spend their afternoons serving flavorful fare at the dining hall.
"At the beginning it was a little weird," Sadagopan said. "We never washed dishes at home. We never made food at home."
The trio came to Syracuse in the fall from their native India, and they have been working for food services ever since.
"It was the first place we applied to," Sadagopan said. "We were lucky."
According to Sadagopan, about 300 Indians came to SU this year to pursue academic studies. Many sought employment with food services.
"We are all grad students," Bhat said. India has few good master's programs, he said, which is why he and his colleagues came to SU.
"This is a job we get easily," he said. Bhat said that securing other jobs would be difficult because he is not a U.S. citizen and does not have a work-study grant. This may explain why, according to Bhat, 95 percent of food-service employees at Haven are international students.
Due to their academically demanding schedules, grad student employees sign up for no more than 15 to 20 hours per week and schedule their shifts around classes. The job pays more than $7 per hour, making food services one of the best-paying and most flexible employers on campus.
"No job is fun," Bhat said. "But it pays the rent." The employees also use their earnings to enjoy the precious free time they have away from their studies. Sadagopan and Shetty are studying mechanical engineering, and Bhat is in engineering management.
Student employees tackle a variety of responsibilities at Haven dining hall, they said.
"It changes every day," Shetty said. "Everyone gets to do everything."
Job assignments include salad and pasta bar, salad prep, grill and vegan areas, main line (where main dishes are served), outside runner (refilling beverages and cereal) and cook's help (doing whatever the cook tells you to do). And, of course, there's the dishroom.
The trio agreed that dishroom duty is the job to avoid.
"It's the most stressful," Bhat said. "When it's rush hour...there are lots and lots of dishes."
Even so, student employees in the dishroom only handle utensils. Commercial workers employed by food services take care of the rest.
"Students aren't given dirty jobs," Sadagopan. "We never handle any raw food."
Student employees don't actually do any of the cooking and cleaning, Shetty explained.
"We basically just serve the food," he said.
And according to Shetty, the food they serve is carefully prepared.
"One thing I can promise you is that the food is very hygienic," he said.
The trio enjoys just about all of the cuisine served at Haven, with the exception of beef. Bhat goes for grilled chicken or grilled cheese, while Shetty likes to hit up the pasta and French fries.
"At the beginning it was a little weird," Sadagopan said. "We never washed dishes at home. We never made food at home."
The trio came to Syracuse in the fall from their native India, and they have been working for food services ever since.
"It was the first place we applied to," Sadagopan said. "We were lucky."
According to Sadagopan, about 300 Indians came to SU this year to pursue academic studies. Many sought employment with food services.
"We are all grad students," Bhat said. India has few good master's programs, he said, which is why he and his colleagues came to SU.
"This is a job we get easily," he said. Bhat said that securing other jobs would be difficult because he is not a U.S. citizen and does not have a work-study grant. This may explain why, according to Bhat, 95 percent of food-service employees at Haven are international students.
Due to their academically demanding schedules, grad student employees sign up for no more than 15 to 20 hours per week and schedule their shifts around classes. The job pays more than $7 per hour, making food services one of the best-paying and most flexible employers on campus.
"No job is fun," Bhat said. "But it pays the rent." The employees also use their earnings to enjoy the precious free time they have away from their studies. Sadagopan and Shetty are studying mechanical engineering, and Bhat is in engineering management.
Student employees tackle a variety of responsibilities at Haven dining hall, they said.
"It changes every day," Shetty said. "Everyone gets to do everything."
Job assignments include salad and pasta bar, salad prep, grill and vegan areas, main line (where main dishes are served), outside runner (refilling beverages and cereal) and cook's help (doing whatever the cook tells you to do). And, of course, there's the dishroom.
The trio agreed that dishroom duty is the job to avoid.
"It's the most stressful," Bhat said. "When it's rush hour...there are lots and lots of dishes."
Even so, student employees in the dishroom only handle utensils. Commercial workers employed by food services take care of the rest.
"Students aren't given dirty jobs," Sadagopan. "We never handle any raw food."
Student employees don't actually do any of the cooking and cleaning, Shetty explained.
"We basically just serve the food," he said.
And according to Shetty, the food they serve is carefully prepared.
"One thing I can promise you is that the food is very hygienic," he said.
The trio enjoys just about all of the cuisine served at Haven, with the exception of beef. Bhat goes for grilled chicken or grilled cheese, while Shetty likes to hit up the pasta and French fries.
