North Campus Dining Tunes: Who is on Aux?

Whether it’s soft rock or Sexyy Red, the dining halls always have background music playing. It is fair to wonder, however, who decides what music plays and why they include a large range of genres. 

According to Pfizer.com, music can have an effect on people’s emotions and set their mood. Considering this, music should be chosen with thought. At the North Campus Dining Hall and the Yahentamitsi Dining Hall (The Y), students observe the types of music they hear. 

“I notice the music especially in 251,” freshman real estate major, Grace Neall, said. 

“It makes eating there a fun environment. I find myself singing along often.”

The man behind the music is Todd Causey, a food service manager at The Y. Causey and coworker, Abdoul Huqq, are known amongst the employees at The Y as the music aficionados.

“All the managers have access to the music control, typically the opening manager sets the tone for the day,” Causey said. “However, usually it’s Abdoul for the week and me on the weekends. We’re both big music fans, so we love to talk about music and collaborate when choosing what to play.”

Though the range of music is restricted to what is provided through music station Sirius XM, the genre of music for the day is still chosen thoughtfully. 

“A lot of it is looking back at what we have played in recent days, we don’t want to repeat,” Causey said. “Sometimes it’s also based on the mood of the day, for example, when it’s raining outside I play reggae to bring some sunshine into the dining hall.”

At the 251 North Campus Dining Hall, the tunes are handled similarly. 

“We come in and depending on who is the manager in charge that day, we put on a station that is relevant,” executive chef, Byron Scott, said. “Depending on the day, it could be something like pop or the ‘Heat’ radio. We see how the energy of the dining hall is that day to help pick the music.”

Students seemed to agree on one thing: similarly to a diner’s jukebox, they would like to have input on what songs get played during their meals. 

“I think it’d be cool to be able to play our own songs and see everyone’s music taste,” Neall said. “It would give more variety as opposed to the radio playing.”

Luckily, the music controllers are on board. 

“Students can comment on food, music, or anything by sending me a message on email, and I’d definitely be open to considering student input in what’s played,” Causey said. 

This perspective isn’t limited to the Y’s staff, as the 251 staff is open to taking station requests as well. 

“As long as it’s a station we have access to,” Scott said. “We don’t have a set playlist, our options are based on what the satellite radio picks up.”

The staff at the North campus dining halls evidently care about creating a welcoming atmosphere for students. 

“We genuinely want students to enjoy their experience here and we do pay attention to things that are atmospheric as well, we don’t just focus on the food,” Causey said. “Music can really have a subtle effect on people. If we can inject a little happiness into someone’s day, that’s what we’re here for.”

• dining
• dining hall
• music
• student life