Hard-working cooks who have served many of OWU’s Greek Life students for almost a decade are going to lose their jobs due to meal plan cuts by OWU’s administration.
Not only will they lose their jobs, but the students will lose a valuable member of their community. This is especially true for the brothers at Delta Tau Delta who see their cook, Billy, 5 days a week.
Photo courtesy of Jack Vater.
Currently, Ohio Wesleyan University offers several meal plans at different price points such as Silver, Gold, and Platinum as well as other meal plans based on where you live. One of these meal plans, the fraternity meal plan, is being eliminated next year.
Sigma Phi Epsilon and Delta Tau Delta are two of the Greek life organizations on campus that have in-house kitchens and cooks. These cooks prepare meals for the students on days of school in their respective houses. However, the school wants that to change.
The fraternity meal plan will be terminated at the end of the Spring of 2024 ending almost a decade of work for Delta Tau Delta’s chef, William Thompson (AKA Billy Bob).
“I hope the fraternities and the school can come to an agreement of some sort because I thought I would die in front of that stove, Bubba,” Thompson said.
He not only makes food for the students but acts as a house dad making sure the house is in good shape. He has been a part of the Delta Tau Delta community for almost a decade and before that, his mother was the cook for the brothers at Delta Tau Delta.
Many of the brothers are saddened by the prospect of Billy Bob leaving.
“Billy Bob is the Delt house personified,” said Ehsan Fayyaz. “A lot of the good times in the house are centered around food and Billy is part of our community in a big way.”
“Billy acts as a connection for past brothers in the house,” said Mark Frawley ’22. “He is an alumni connection and a big reason many of us still visit Ohio Wesleyan University years after our graduation.”
Billy makes meals for holidays and events throughout the school year. Whether it be Thanksgiving, a formal, or a graduation dinner with the brothers and their families, Billy’s cooking creates times the brothers will remember for a long time.
It's evident that the OWU fraternity meal plan is more than just a meal plan. It’s an integral part of students’ lives and a vibrant aspect of their respective communities, something that Ohio Wesleyan administrators should take into account before ending the program.
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