The Regular Crowd Shuffles In: Lunchtime at Trim
George Recck ’82, MBA’84 is the holder of a very particular distinction.
A part of Babson College for a long time, Recck believes he has eaten more meals at Trim Dining Hall than anybody else. He first ate there in 1978 as a first-year student, and while his role on campus has changed multiple times since then—from undergraduate to graduate student, from staff member to faculty—he hasn’t stopped going to the dining hall.
Now an associate professor of practice of mathematics, Recck has done the math on his time at Trim. Through the decades, he estimates he has eaten there at least 5,000 times. “I usually go to Trim in weekdays ending in ‘y’ and some weekend days ending in ‘y,’ usually for lunch or brunch,” says Recck, also the faculty director of the Math Resource Center and the Paybotic Term Chair for Business Analytics Curriculum & Pedagogy.
Trim may be a key part of everyday life for many Babson students, serving as a town square of sorts on campus, but Recck is among a slew of faculty and staff members who also make it part of their routine. At lunchtime, they file in, seeking a break in the day and a plate filled with their usual favorites.
Recck’s go-to Trim meal is chicken tenders, fries, and chocolate chip cookies. Amir Reza P’28, dean of Babson Academy and Global Education, likes the salad bar and checking out the halal options. Rob Major, director of undergraduate administration, favors comfort food such as mac and cheese, shepherd’s pie, and Rice Krispies treats.
Beyond the food, though, the regulars come to Trim in search of camaraderie and connection in a place so engrained in the culture of the College. It’s a spot to say hi, check in, and follow up, especially with students. “It’s a place where you can run into so many people you know in just 30 minutes,” Reza says.
A Fan of the Chicken Salad
Come to Trim during lunchtime, and you feel like the dining hall is the center of campus at that moment. So many students seem to be there, and the atmosphere feels upbeat and chatty. At the salad bar, at the deli, at the dessert station, students peruse their food options. They sit together at tables, in groups of friends, as members of their sports team. “Trim is one place where it is the highest concentration of people from the Babson community,” Major says.
To arrive at Trim just before the lunch rush, Farrah Narkiewicz leaves her office in Horn Library around 11:45 a.m. She likes to make herself a salad and top it off with protein. “I’m a big fan of their chicken salad,” says the marketing and events manager of the Stephen D. Cutler Center for Investments and Finance.
A mom of a 4-year old, Narkiewicz finds that her meals at home can be a bit hectic. That’s why she appreciates the relative peace of her Trim lunches. “It’s the only meal of the day that I can sit and enjoy from start to finish without being interrupted or having to multitask,” says Narkiewicz, who enjoys Trim so much that she bought a meal plan. “It’s the best value around.”
Like other staff and faculty regulars at Trim, Narkiewicz has a usual place that she sits: the high stools at a counter near the deli. “I’m a creature of habit,” Narkiewicz says, “so I like sitting in the same spot every day.” Major also likes the high stools, while Reza holds out hope for the booths by Trim’s large windows. The booths are usually taken.
Bryan Lipiner, senior manager of social media and content marketing, prefers sitting at an oval table on the dining floor. The table is perfect for conversing with colleagues while eating his well-rounded lunch of vegetables, whole grains, and protein. Lipiner likes to eat healthy. “You have to eat the vegetables,” he says. “You have to get your vitamins and minerals.”
The Power of Chicken Parm
For the Trim regulars, some days at the dining hall are extra noteworthy. During November, for instance, Trim hosts a Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings, and in springtime, it celebrates the opening of baseball season. Lipiner has memories of Wally, the Boston Red Sox’s furry green mascot, dancing and jumping around Trim while the song “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” was playing. “That was pretty funny,” he says.
Some days stand out for the menu. Surrounded by students at Trim, Lipiner will hear them talking about a popular dish being served that day. The cause of that chatter might be mac and cheese, ribs, or the perennially crowd-pleasing chicken parmesan.
“There is no shortage of students lining up for chicken parm,” Lipiner says. Its appeal is understandable. “Have you ever met someone who doesn’t like chicken parm?” he asks. “Everyone loves cheese.”
Recck has experienced many memorable meals during his years at Trim. He remembers the allure of Cheeseburger Tuesdays when he was an undergraduate. He often would go into the kitchen where a cook known as “Big Al” was frying up dozens of burgers at a time. “He would peel off two patties and drop them into my bun,” he says. “The bottom bun was soaked in grease by the time I got to my seat, and I loved it.”
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