Going Deaf In Middle Childhood Part 8

No tale of a residential school childhood would be complete without the mention of the school dining room! Everyone loves to chow down and the deaf with their incredibly sharp taste buds are eager eaters.

Like I mentioned before, the dining room had a central location in the middle of the campus with doors leading out to each side, one direction for the boys and in the opposite direction for the girls. From the time I was a student of the school until the time I retired as Staff, I saw many, many changes in that building and the way it was run. Not all of the changes were for the better.

At first the dining room was run "family style". There were large, square wooden tables that held 8 people. At one corner sat a "father" (an older student) and opposite on another corner was a "mother". These tables were covered with crisp white table cloths and we had white cotton napkins to match with "napkin rings" to show "ownership" of our own personal napkin. The cloths and the napkins were changed twice a week, washed and ironed in the school laundry. I distinctly recall some of us, who wore lipstick would put a "kiss" on our napkin to prove ownership! Anyone recall "Pink Lightening" lipstick??

If we put our elbows on the table, they got slammed with a table knife by the table "father". We were required to dress nicely, no shorts or "inappropriate" sportswear. Grace was said before each meal while we were still standing beside our tables. Dorm staff would flash the lights, and when EVERYONE was quiet a previously chosen student would say grace. Often (understandably) there was a long wait before everything was quiet, and if YOU were the one holding the meal up, all eyes would be shooting daggers at you.

We were served family style with large bowls of food served by "waitresses and waiters", who were also students. These hard working (and often verbally abused) kids wore starched, white cotton aprons. All of we residential school graduates are familiar with the sign "Lousy Food!" But actually the victuals were quite good and we had 3 very well balanced meals a day including deserts. We were expected to "try a little of everything" and the table "parents" would make sure that you followed this protocol! It was an absolute requirement that we attend each and every meal. No one got left behind and if you were missed, someone would come after you.

After each meal the tables were cleaned off and reset for the next meal by yes, you guessed it, students! We all learned to WORK at an early age.

Later on after I became a staff member, the dining room was changed into cafeteria style. Even later, the lines in the cafeteria were no longer segregated by sex, no more "boys in one line and girls in another. And prayer was abolished. Students could wear shorts, thongs, etc. No more dress code in the dining room. And with the loss of family style dining, prayer and a dress code, good behavior (and manners) went out the window!

To be continued