Iowa State University Alumni Association| online edition | fall 2002
 

 


FALL 2002
Home

Cover Story:
>>The Knoll

Feature Story:
Two voices

Departments:
Getting Started
Letters
On Campus
Alumni Profile
Association News
Giving
Sports



Behind the scenes at the Knoll

Stewart Burger
Chef and event coordinator

Stewart Burger began his job as the Knoll event coordinator on July 1, 2001 – the same day his new boss – ISU President Greg Geoffroy – began his first day of work. Their first event was four days later – but not at the Knoll, which was still undergoing major renovation. By October, the president and his staff were still unpacking boxes in their new home. “It was just like Christmas,” remembers Burger. “Nobody knew what was inside.”

If Burger is the “new guy” at the Knoll, he is hardly new to Iowa State. He began working at ISU’s Food Service Department in 1972 as a graduate student working toward a master’s in hotel, restaurant, and institution management. He’s been here ever since, serving as the director of Residence Department Dining Service from 1983 until March 2001, and he still teaches a class in the Department of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management.

The most important principle behind planning successful parties, receptions, and meals is understanding the “who” and “why” behind each event, says Burger. For example, a dinner for the Board of Regents, a reception for retiring faculty, and a supper for Iowa State honors students all have different purposes, clientele, and foods. Although Burger has a few favorites, he hardly ever serves the same menu twice. And because there is no such thing as a guinea pig or a train wreck in Burger’s repertoire or experience, he carefully tests everything before each event.

Events frequently have a theme. The picnic for retiring faculty, for example, centered on classic foods from an older era: lemonade-rhubarb punch, orange-cranberry breast of chicken, and lemon meringue pie. Christmas events complimented last year’s turn-of-the-century decorating scheme at the Knoll: gingerbread, puddings, and candied fruits. The versatile Burger is as adept at pleasing student guests (a few favorite recipes, like green mint dessert and chocolate chip cookies, came with him from the residence halls) as he is visiting dignitaries.

The Geoffroys – as well as many of their guests – are health-conscious, and Burger has perfected airy and flavorful soufflés. Always mindful of the budget, Burger shops in quantity by planning a month in advance, makes everything “from scratch,” and buys local produce henever possible.

Last Christmas, when the public was invited to the Knoll for holiday treats, Burger was impressed with the pleasure they expressed. “So many said, ‘I’ve never been here before!’ People have high expectations when they come to the Knoll. Giving them a good time is an important way to show them they are welcome, included, and valued.”

Carol Wightman
“Stewart’s assistant”

Carol Wightman, formerly housekeeper to the Jischkes and “Anthony’s assistant,” admits to some nervousness when head chef and event planner Anthony Cawdron left the Knoll, to be replaced by Stewart Burger. She and Anthony had been a team; could the new guy live up? Today, after a year with the “new guy,” the 10-year Knoll veteran says she considers him a high point of the job. “Stewart’s great. We have a lot of fun working together.”

Another high point for Wightman is working with the four ISU students who help serve at special events. “It’s fun to help teach them serving skills and table etiquette. I kind of feel like their grandmother.”

Wightman, who works about 12 hours each week at the Knoll, describes herself as a “country girl” and says she has learned about exciting new dishes at the Knoll. “I’ve always liked working with food. But I’d never tasted a soufflé until Stewart came. His spinach soufflé and the one he does with fresh corn – those are my favorites.” She also enjoys learning food presentation techniques. “When we place the radish roses and the cherry tomatoes just so, the salad looks just like a picture.”

Doug Harjes
Groundskeeper

A background in golf course maintenance gave groundskeeper Doug Harjes an eye for a detail and a penchant for pickiness when he joined ISU’s Facilities Maintenance staff more than seven years ago. He is one of about 34 full-time campus groundskeepers, and his “beat” includes the Knoll, Memorial Union, and Buchanan Hall.

If the attention he gives the Knoll is meticulous, it is no more than the rest of campus receives. It is no accident that the ISU campus was named by the American Society of Landscape Architects as one of the most beautiful in the country.

The Knoll, of course, has its challenges. In the spring and summer, large red tents – used for entertaining – frequently mushroom in the carefully groomed yard, and if he’s not careful, they can leave behind a large patch of dead grass, says Harjes. Before an event, he gives the lawn an extra dose of fertilizer, to help boost new growth, and after guests trample the lawn, he aerates it.

Like many places on campus, the Knoll lawn is a favorite nibbling ground for rabbits. Harjes figures that in a given season, he does battle with about 50 rabbits, who dig holes and feast on plants and trees. “It’s a pretty good smorgasbord around here,” he says.

The summer of 2002 marked a substantial change for Harjes: The Jischke’s huge flower bed was gone. The garden had expanded to a 100-by-20-foot bed, and had thrived under the green thumb of former First Lady Patty Jischke. But when the Jischkes left in the spring of 2000, campus planners didn’t know if the Knoll’s future tenants would be gardeners. In addition, they knew the house would sit empty for the next year, while it underwent major renovation. Plans for future landscaping is currently on hold, while the university struggles with its budget cuts.

But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do. Harjes mows, prunes, clips, sods, aerates, and fertilizes. In the fall, he rakes, and in the winter, he shovels. “It’s no different than your own backyard,” he says.

Well, maybe a little different.

Susan Medley
Housekeeper

Keeping the Knoll’s public areas spotless is joyful work for Susan Medley, who has been the home’s first-floor housekeeper for the past six years. Employed by the Memorial Union and assigned part-time to the Knoll, her job is not just ordinary housecleaning. As she polishes the carved feet of antique furniture, dusts original art, and keeps silver gleaming, she says she has a sense of caring for a special place.

“A piece of furniture is never just a piece of furniture. Each one has a story to tell,” she says. Medley has a warm spot for one particular piece of furniture – a buffet donated by Louise Haug, a former ISU staff member. “It meant so much to Louise for the piece to be here. It was a family heirloom and she told us all about it,” says Medley.

During the period of the Knoll’s most recent renovation, Medley worked at the Farm House Museum, under the tutelage of Eleanor Ostendorf, interim curator of the museum, and herself a former Knoll housekeeper. “I learned so much about the history of Iowa State,” says Medley. “And I keep on learning.”

Pat Hoversten
Secretary

A 15-year veteran of ISU, Pat Hoversten, like many secretaries, can do just about anything that needs to be done. She greets guests, gives impromptu tours, answers the phone, sends invitations, and helps with events.

She speaks of the Knoll in terms of “before and after the renovation.” She joined the Jischkes’ Knoll staff in 1999, before the new kitchen was built. “It was complicated. When the [Jischke] kids wanted a snack or a meal during an event, we’d have to clear off a corner of the counter just to fix a sandwich.” She calls the new elevator “a miracle.” “We were always moving furniture up and down, to make room for different kinds of events.”

Hoversten particularly enjoys the events that have become a tradition at the Knoll – breakfast for Alumni Days, and the holiday events. “What comes from the Knoll is stress-free entertainment for everyone. Stewart makes it look easy.”