Dining, formally
Iconic images of Cambridge include seeing photos of men and women dressed in gowns and “lounge suits” for evening meals, carrying on the ritual of formal halls that have been in this place for decades. Formal halls, which at some college are as oft as every evening, are a chance for students to both unwind and suit up. Formals are as quintessential “Oxbridge” as is rowing.
My reading in organizational theory has even included the concept of formal halls. Professors Paul Tracey (a fellow at Hughes Hall) and Kamal Munir have published in the leading journal for management studies, the Academy of Management Journal, on the role that these meals — three courses complete with aperitifs and after dinner port — play in upholding the prestige of the university. I suspect there were other motivations in producing a study that included dining out on 29 occasions, but the results are nevertheless true. Formal halls are part of the Cambridge experience.
The initial reaction of many of those unaccustomed to dining at Cambridge is astonishment and wonder: the hundreds of candles, elaborate presentation, imposing architecture, use of Latin and medieval customs, and highly skilled team of hovering waiters all combine to provide an impressive spectacle. The stories, portraits, and artifacts, such as the silver and dishes, become “sacred objects” (Durkheim, 1912/ 1995) that are used as props to impress and entertain guests. (Dacin et. al, 2010).
Something as simple as a meal is full of ritual and performance, a reminder of the history that is carried in the walls and streets of the city. Whether it is the ceremonial ring of the gong or the meal prayer said in Latin, it is hard to forget that this is a reminder of a time that has long since gone. The flip side to the article I quote above is the role that these meals play in upholding a strange legacy of a modern civilization. The British class system has long drawn the ire of those found on the both sides of the divide; opportunity is simply not there for everyone, despite living in a modern democracy. The paper argues how these rituals, meals rich with “culture”, strip individuals of their identities to form them into the Cambridge mold. Forming the ideal Cambridge graduate.
At our first formal hall, a couple of people got up to go out and have a cigarette in between the courses and the sort of the head waiter came up to them and said loudly, “You are not peasants! Getting up and smoking in between meals is for peasants!” That incident has just stuck in my mind. (Quote from a student — Dacin et. al, 2010).
These meals, irrespective of their underpinnings, are a chance to enjoy the company of both friends and those who you are fortunate to sit along side. There is something that feels exciting about getting dressed up to enjoy a meal, perhaps with a couple glasses of wine, and forgetting about the mountains of reading that await on the other side.
As a student, it can be tough to entertain given the limited kitchens and time constraints. Formal swaps solve this challenge, an IOU for a meal at your own hall a replacement for the challenges of a proper dinner party. I have been fortunate to dine at one other college thus far (not bad for 4 weeks in) and look forward to more elsewhere. Quickly you can pick up on the differences in history between each. Queen’s College is one of the “old colleges”, founded hundreds of years ago and containing the relics of “Head Tables” where the Master and Fellows (and privileged — or unfortunate trapped students) dine on especially fancy meals and reserve wine, all with the quiet din of waiters shuffling silver ‘round the room. Compared to Hughes, where tonight I sat at the “head table” by chance — not that there is any difference where you sit in our college — and the relatively casual atmosphere.
Whether the food is good or mediocre, a meal shared with friends and company is one that is excellent. In the pursuit of whatever it is we are all here for it is nice to know that where you feel at home. Dining. Formally.