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HEC Theme and Guest Speakers Announced!

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HEC Cookie Contest Winner Announced

Dear SHA Community,

The HEC Board and I would like to welcome you back after a week of sandy beaches, swaying hammocks, and refreshing Piña Coladas. To those who had the pleasure of staying in Ithaca, we hope you enjoyed a week away from the hustle and bustle of classes and students.

Can you imagine that the 82nd Annual Hotel Ezra Cornell is only two weeks away? In this email, I will explain why HEC is relevant and important to you, update you on what’s hot on our program, and provide you with action steps on how to get involved.

Why is HEC important and relevant to you?

HEC is important to you because we’ve redefined our mission to be “Showcasing Hospitality Education Through Student Leadership.” Only your involvement can help us showcase the very best talents of the Hotel School to the rest of the industry—and HEC is the perfect place for that!

Moreover, our theme of “Sustainability Through Innovation” challenges a very relevant issue for you and our industry. How can we compel ourselves to achieve both organizational and environmental sustainability through continual innovation? Find out during HEC 82.

What’s HOT on our program?

Everything is! But of course, many of you will be very busy during the weekend, so let me highlight some key events that should not be missed:

• “The Entrepreneurial State of Mind”—Keynote Address by Leland C. “Lee” Pillsbury. Be inspired to embrace uncertainty, disruption, and risk when the world (and perhaps your boss) prizes confidence, calmness, and security. Friday, 8:45 AM, Statler Auditorium
• “Student Concept Fair.” This is your chance to see the Hotel School students shine. Watch your peers share their entrepreneurial ideas with you and then guests will “write a check” to invest in the best business plan. The winners will actually split a total of $3,000 in prize money! Friday, 11:15 AM, Park Atrium
• “Student Showcase”—the best projects from all classes in the Hotel School. Mingle with guests and chat with your peers because who knows, your project might be showcased next year! Saturday, 10:00 AM, Terrace Lounge
• “Sustainability Panel.” Industry leaders share their views on sustainability in their organizations with involvement from students in Cornell’s Sustainable Enterprise Association. Make sure you come with lots of questions for our panelists so that we can all learn how to adopt sustainable business practices for the future. Saturday, 12:15 PM, Statler Auditorium
• “Closing Cocktail”. The perfect ending to the best ever Hotel Ezra Cornell weekend. This event is only open to those who volunteered for HEC. Saturday, 9:00 PM, Park Atrium

Please feel free to check our website www.hotelezracornell.com for more information!

How can you get involved?

Aside from attending the events I outlined above, the best way to get involved is to VOLUNTEER for the weekend! We’ve created a number of opportunities for you to showcase your skills to the industry leaders. You can do anything from serving a meal to the President of Westin Hotels to turning down the room of the Director of Operations for Starbucks to many other opportunities!

Thus, please join us this week at our recruiting fair for more information and get some great HEC keepsakes for volunteering for shifts! I, along with many board members, will be there to answer any questions you may have for HEC and beyond. So whether you are a student looking to volunteer or a staff member wanting to learn more about HEC 82, join us this week:

Dates: This Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
Time: 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM
Location: World Atrium

Remember, HEC exists for you! We’re here to provide you with an opportunity to connect with industry leaders, showcasing why the Hotel School is the best in the world. The weekend is only two weeks away. We’ve done everything we could to make HEC into the “Summit of Hospitality Education.”

Won’t you join our cause?

Thank you so much for your time, and see you around this week in the World Atrium!

Yours in service,

Arthur Chang '07
Managing Director

8:19 AM | 0 comments

Hello Hotelies and welcome back from Spring Break ’07! I hope you all enjoyed your breaks and were able to catch up on some rest. I know I certainly did! I encountered some problems between the airline and my luggage upon my arrival in Puerto Rico; in fact, I was missing sunscreen for a few days that I ended up having some of my bear fur burned to a crisp… But all is well, as I have recovered both my luggage and my fur.

Anyway, HEC 82 is just around the corner. That’s right! April 12th – 15th calls for a weekend of excitement, fulfilled with sustainability through innovation. If you are still not yet involved in this year’s HEC, I am about to disclose how you can become involved in what will be the best HEC ever – HEC 82, why of course. Much thanks to Justin Sun, Human Resources Director, for the following information.

The next upcoming HEC event is Recruitment Week; Recruitment Week will take place from March 27-29 (Tuesday through Thursday) from 10:00 AM - 1:30 PM in the Statler World Atrium. Volunteers are essential to the success of HEC; volunteers are the underlying reason why HEC exists. Without volunteers, the weekend cannot progress and HEC cannot run smoothly.

Recruiting Week is HEC's effort to spread the buzz about HEC and to get as many student volunteers--both Hotelies and non-Hotelies--as we can to participate in the weekend. Opportunities for volunteers are available in the following departments:

- Hotel Operations
- Conference Services
- Food and Beverage Service
- Culinary
- Human Resources

Department positions and their descriptions include the following:

Hotel Operations

Position Available:

Guest Services Staff Member: Assist with activities designed to enhance the guest experience; compete in the HEC 82 Service Olympics.

Turndown Service
Thursday, April 12, 2007
5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Friday, April 13, 2007
5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Conference Services

Positions Available:

Setup Team Member: Assist the F&B and Design Teams with setup of the function
Breakdown Team Member: Assist with breaking down and cleaning up after the event
Truck Off-load Team Member: Assist with removing HEC supplies from truck


Welcome Cocktail
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Setup Team Member
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Breakdown Team Member
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Power Lunch
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Setup Team Member
8:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Pre-Dinner Cocktail
Friday, April 13, 2007
Setup Team Member
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Student Concept Fair
Friday, April 13, 2007
Setup Team Member
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Power Lunch
Friday, April 13, 2007
Breakdown Team Member
1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Gala Banquet
Friday, April 13, 2007
Setup Team Member
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Concept Fair
Friday, April 13, 2007
Setup Team Member
3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Johnson Art Museum Cocktail
Friday, April 13, 2007
Setup Team Member
7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Breakdown Team Member
11:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.
Truck Off-load Team Member
12:30 a.m. – 1:30 a.m.

Pre-Dinner Cocktail
Friday, April 13, 2007
Breakdown Team Member
8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Gala Banquet
Friday, April 13, 2007
Breakdown Team Member
10:30 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.

Dean’s Brunch
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Setup Team Member
12:30 a.m. – 2:00 a.m.

Pre-Dinner Cocktail
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Setup Team Member
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Concept Fair
Breakdown Team Member
2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Dean's Brunch
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Breakdown Team Member
2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Closing Cocktail
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Setup Team Member
4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Food and Beverage Services

Positions Available:

Butler: Serve appetizers and drinks
Food Server: Assist in clearing tables, food-running, and all F&B service operations
Beverage Server: Serve and clear all wine and beverages

Opening Cocktail
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Butler
3:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Opening Breakfast
Friday, April 13, 2007
Food Server
6:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Food Server
Friday AM Breakout
8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Power Lunch
Friday, April 13, 2007
Food Server
10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Food Sever
Friday PM Breakout
12:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Pre-Gala Cocktail
Friday, April 13, 2007
Butler
5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Gala Banquet
Friday, April 13, 2007
Food Server
5:00 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Beverage Server
5:00 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.

Johnson Art Museum Cocktail
Friday, April 13, 2007
Beverage Server/Butler
7:00 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.

Continental Breakfast
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Food Server
6:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Dean’s Brunch
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Food and Beverage Server
8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Saturday Breakout
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Food Server
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Pre-Dinner Cocktail
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Butler
4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Sustainable Dinner
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Food Server
4:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Beverage Server
4:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Stuzzichini Dinner
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Food Server
4:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.Beverage Server
4:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Closing Cocktail
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Butler
6:00 p.m – 1:00 a.m.

Culinary

Position Available:

Culinary Team Member: Assist with food prep for F&B functions; assist with cooking and plating of dishes

Please sign up on the “Culinary Team” sign-up list if you are interested or contact Liz Longstreet at egl5@cornell.edu.

Human Resources

Position Available:

Human Resources Team Member: Create and distribute volunteer nametags; distribute and collect volunteer uniforms; assist volunteers with questions about their functions

Please sign up on the “Human Resources Team” sign-up list if you are interested or contact Justin Sun at js389@cornell.edu.

During Recruiting Week, members of HEC will be in the Atrium to answer questions that students have about volunteering at various functions during the weekend. Students can earn HEC memorabilia (i.e. HEC poker chips, cards, and decorations from previous HECs) for each function that they sign up for. HEC has a lot of random items to give away, such as candles, puppets, and other interesting items—you'll just have to stop by and see what's available.

If you wish to volunteer, please contact Justin Sun at js389@cornell.edu with your first and last name, telephone number, name of the function(s) and shift(s) that you want to volunteer for, and position that you would like to work (i.e. Food Server, Butler).

Bearably Yours,

Ellsworth

9:38 AM | 2 comments

Hotelies! Ellsworth here to sign off quickly right before spring break. I hope all of you enjoy your spring break – this has definitely been a tough semester for me and I am looking forward to some much needed rest and relaxation down in Puerto Rico. My suitcase is almost all packed; I have some sunscreen, pool shorts, my overly festive Hawaiian shirt, and my shades (of course). I am ready to hit up the sun with friends (including Miss Alice Statler!) and be pampered on the pristine beaches in accompaniment with some of the world’s finest hospitality.

I am flying down to Puerto Rico Saturday morning and I hope to be greeted with warmth and sunshine. Although the weather in Ithaca has been somewhat fair this last week, it will be refreshing to be in an environment with 80° weather all week! I am staying at a hotel right on the beach with fellow Hotelies, so we are assured a good time.

Meanwhile, I wish you all a fantastic break. Be sure to rest up and return ready to work hard – the end of the semester is approaching quickly. In addition, HEC is coming up. I hope you all are planning to be involved in this year’s HEC. If you are still unsure of what you can do, be sure to read over previous blog entries for ideas as to how you can become involved! There is a lot to do, a lot that you can do – and I expect every Hotelie to be involved in HEC this year in some way!

Stay Bearably Cool,

Ellsworth

2:57 PM | 0 comments

Good afternoon Hotelies! Ellsworth here with an important message I just received from Jackie Quinlan regarding HEC 82’s Culinary Team. The team is a great way for Hotelies to become involved with our upcoming HEC (which is less than one month away!). Here is what Jackie has to say:

The Culinary Team is the group that helps the function managers or individual chefs prepare food during HEC weekend for each function. The majority of the team is comprised up of freshmen who are new to the Hotel School and HEC. (Freshmen – this is a great way to become involved in HEC as well as to meet fellow class members!) Our main goal is to teach students the culinary skills they will need during the weekend and to give them a positive experience so that students will want to be involved in the F&B side of HEC in the future.

For additional information about joining the HEC Culinary Team, please contact Jackie Quinlan at jaq3@cornell.edu.

3:44 PM | 0 comments

4:01 AM | 0 comments

Here is a very special announcement from Karl Manalili, our Food and Beverage Service Director for this year’s HEC.

"Be our guest, be our guest. Put our SERVICE to the test!”

And by service, I mean food and beverage service. And I mean that warm, comforting, and memorable kind of service.

HEC attendees are not customers; they are not clients; they are not VIP's, donors, purchasers, or consumers. They are our guests. We will treat them like the honored guests they are. How? Through excellence in foodservice.

As the F&B Service Director, my responsibility is to help plan and overlook all front-of-house operations of the HEC Weekend. The F&B Service Function Managers and the Service Team both play vital roles in displaying this excellence in foodservice through managing, training, staffing, recruiting performances.

The Service Team trainings are open to all students of the Hotel School. The training sessions give attendees a better understanding of both foodservice and bartending skills. Meetings are held every Friday at 12:30pm. If you are interested in joining, feel free to contact kam225@cornell.edu.

7:23 PM | 0 comments