Dining vet makes a name by being nice

Anita Whitley always pauses when students pass her their Penn cards in the Class of 1920 Commons dining hall. Seated in a booth in the dining hall foyer, she takes a PennCard, stops, looks the student straight in the eye through her bright yellow-framed glasses and asks, "How are you doing, baby?" And before she runs the student's ID through the card reader, and before the student repockets his PennCard and runs up the dining hall stairs to start filling his tray with food, Anita waits for a response. That's because she really wants to know how each student is doing -- and so they tell her. "I am never without conversation," Anita laughs heartily, her face warm and her dark hair short and neat. She wears a white uniform jacket with a smiley-face pin that reads "Have a Nice Day." Penn students tell Anita their problems, their opinions and all sorts of stories. After all, she knows many of them personally. "I'd say out of the 700 cards I swipe, I bet I know about 500 of the kids by name," she states proudly. Anita has been swiping meal cards in 1920 Commons since 1994, but has been a loyal Dining Services veteran for 26 years. She started out making sandwiches in Houston Hall and then worked in the dish room of Hill House's dining hall. But her job swiping cards allows Anita the best opportunity to socialize. "And I do enjoy running my mouth," she says, nodding. For Anita, it's a lot more than just talking. She takes pride in her ability to listen to and even advise students. "You don't need a college degree for common sense," she says, noting that students often thank her for acting as their listening ear, even though she doesn't have a college diploma. Anita also takes pleasure from her job because she is able to interact with people from all parts of the world and taste the students' diverse cultures. One year, she recalls, students who ate in the Modern Languages College House section of the dining hall discovered it was her birthday and marched out to the foyer where Anita sat swiping cards. They serenaded her with a few rounds of "Happy Birthday," sung in a number of different native tongues. For many students, Anita brings a different dynamic to Dining. "When I came back from summer vacation, she was so happy she kissed me," College junior Jonathan London said. "Whenever you bring a coat into the cafeteria, she'll make sure you don't forget it," Wharton junior Damon Hamilton said. "She brings a lot of sunshine to your day." And College junior Whitny Perkins added, "It's so pleasant having someone like Anita to wish you well at every meal." Yet as freely as she carries on with students, when it comes to speaking about herself, she is uncharacteristically reserved. When asked to describe her life and interests outside of 1920 Commons, Anita simply says shyly that she enjoys dancing and hanging out with her lady friends and that she lives a down-to-earth existence. "I'm not a flashy person," she remarks. When asked if there is anything she would like students to know about her, she immediately replies no. A moment later she changes her mind. "Tell them about my pin," she responds, pointing at the smiling face displayed on her jacket. "I wear it in case I don't get a chance to say it to everyone." Because as well as greeting each student who enters 1920 Commons, she calls out, "You have a good day now!" as each one leaves.