University of Montana in the news...

This excerpt was originally published in the Montana Kaimin (May 1, 2003).

Dining Services dishes up delicious loving
By Natalie Storey and Jarid Ritz of the Montana Kaimin

Passing love notes, kissing by the time clock and getting friendly in the salad cooler are part of the normal operations for some Dining Services employees.

In fact, Mark LoParco, director of Dining Services at the University of Montana, described the Food Zoo, the Country Store and all other outfits as passion pits.

Everyone knows that food is romantic its passionate, he said.
Of the 500 to 600 people employed by Dining Services, quite a few couples have sprung up behind the sizzling grill at the Zoo or the howling espresso machine at La Peak. Some are slow burners, and some end up in a passionate embrace on the floor of the locker room. The Kaimin has found at least five couples who met on the job and are now married or engaged.Emily and Colby Natale are one such couple.

The two met four years ago when Emily arrived at the Country Store for her first day on the job. Upon seeing her, Colby was smitten. They worked together for a year, stocking shelves and doing other jobs, talking, laughing, and, to pass the boredom, lying. Colby said he started talking to his future wife by creating tall tales, just to entertain them when they were working hard and hardly working.

When its dead, you sit back there for hours and hours, Colby said. You gotta talk about something.

And so he did.

One year later, after countless tall tales and failed guitar lessons, the two started dating. Despite the fact that she was his boss, neither thought their romantic relationship was strained by their professional one, and they married a year-and-a-half later. At their wedding, one bridesmaid, two groomsmen, and a handful of guests were former co-workers at the store.

And they arent the only success story.

They remembered one couple who, after screaming and yelling at each other from cash register to cash register, were engaged to be married in the same spot.

One couple which has shared sweet nothings and smooches by the time clock are Jon Dusek and Jess Ann Smith. The two have been dating for 15 months and have a number of Dining Services-related rituals that keep their love fresh. With love notes constantly flowing from La Peak to the Food Zoo kitchen, these two have found a way to make a relationship work between the walls of the Lommasson Center.

Smith said she thinks Dining Services is a great place to find friends or more.

We meet like a lot of people, she said. When youre cashiering, you get hit on a lot.

Jessica England, manager of the Food Zoo for the past four years, said she thinks more customers are trying to hook up than employees.

I think its definitely a place people come to look for a mate, she said.

Some of the employees at the Zoo arent opposed to the prospect of dating a co-worker.

There are some cuties here, definitely, said Amy Thompson, an employee at the Zoo. When asked if the rumors about hooking up in the salad cooler are true, Thompson said she doubts it.

Thats a little ongoing joke here, she said.

Not everyone who goes to Dining Services thinks romance can bloom there easily, though. Dave Miller and Collin Vestal are two customers who think love in the Food Zoo is a near impossibility.

Its not really where you want to take a date, Miller said.

About LoParcos passion pit statement, Vestal thinks there is some truth to it but not much.
I think hes got the pit part right, he said, but I dont know about the passion.