We had an elderly couple make reservations for lunch today. The Mrs. wanted to treat her man to lunch in our student-run restaurant. She told us ahead of time that it was her husbands 80-something birthday. We asked the kids what we should do, if anything, now that we know there is a special occasion in the house. The students gravitated quickly to the idea of serving up one of our Guiness Cupcakes as a special birthday treat, compliments of the house, with students singing Happy Birthday. Something I do not think we ever did in the restaurant but hey, I'm in charge now! The kids were excited with their plan.
Finally the moment arrived. The party's plates were cleared and three student servers accompanied the TA to the table of the birthday boy. As the cupcake was placed before our guest, the kids sang a genuine Happy Birthday to the delight of the gentleman. His wife looked on lovingly.
In the debrief we had a chance to discuss how comping a $3 cupcake was worth its weight in gold and how we made that guest's day very special indeed with the unexpected treat. The kids basked in the glow of their decision which pleased me to no end.
Bottom line. Although running this lab is really physically and mentally challenging for me these days, the days like today make it all worth it. The kids learned how to create a memorable experience with a $3 cupcake and a song.
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