Fine Dining at Crystal - A Brief History of Lunch

Lunch has not always been an epicurean highlight at CSUS! The first Crystal meals were offered in our temporary setting at The First Congregational Church in San Mateo. Kristi Cotton Spence '59 remembers the girls standing around lunch tables waiting for a faculty member to arrive at each table.  While standing, grace was said, and she remembers that often it was merely the word "grace."  She remembers fondly tuna fish with potato chips on top, creamed celery and mashed sweet potatoes as culinary highlights in the early days.

In the fall of 1956 when the school officially moved to the current Mansion, there was at least elegant ambiance when lunch was served in the marble walled Mansion dining room where Tempelton Crocker offered lavish meals during the "roaring 20's." The Crocker's original and expansive kitchen was more than enough to feed the fifty or so young ladies and the faculty.

As the school grew to about 200 girls there was a demand for more space for classrooms, arts, indoor sports and a theater.  The Intermediate School opened its doors in the fall of 1965 and the central pride and joy was the multipurpose room which boasted a cafeteria, theater and open space for games.  But I digress from the theme of food at Crystal.  When I arrived a decade later, the facility was tired and overused.  The kitchen was small and staffed by three "cooks" who opened cans of food, warmed the contents and served us what had to be the most unappealing food imaginable.

Food quality, quantity and presentation began trending upward with the installation of our first commercial food service, Chartwells and a real chef, Willie Branham!

Currently we are in food heaven with food service provided by Epicurean Group, www.epicurean-group.com.  Home cooked, nutritious meals are served daily and it is a real pleasure to go to a Crystal lunch these days.

Just to make your mouth water, see this week's menu  from Epicurean.

Monday, May 11

Assorted Cereal Bar

Creamy Tomato Basil

Grilled Niman Ranch Burgers

Grilled Garden Veggie Burgers

Ruffles Potato Chips

Steamed Broccoli, Pasta Salad

Grilled Pesto Vegetable Salad

Roasted Turkey and Provolone

Frozen Yogurt

Tuesday, May 12

Cinnamon-Sugar Oatmeal

Cream of Broccoli

Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas

Roasted Veggie Quesadillas

Spanish Rice, Black Beans

Steamed Summer Squash

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Honey Ham and Swiss

Wednesday, May 13

Cream of Wheat w/Blueberries

Spring Vegetable Soup

Lasagna Bolognese

Spaghetti w/House Marinara

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Steamed Organic Green Beans

Chef's Salad

Tuna Salad on Whole Wheat

Chef's Treat

Thursday, May 14

Special Cereal Choice: Captain Crunch

Black Bean Soup

Balsamic-Roasted Pork Loin

Balsamic Tofu and Veggie Saute

Roasted Asparagus

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Crystal Cobb

Roast Beef and Cheddar

Friday, May 15

To-Go Snack

Vegan Butternut Squash

Meat Lovers' or Cheese Pizza

Veggie Lovers' Pizza

Spaghetti w/House Marinara

Tossed Garden Salad

Grilled Chicken Caesar

Egg Salad (w/Bacon)

Frozen Yogurt 

Welcome to Draper's CSUS blog, Draper's Capers

So here I come kicking and screaming into the 21st century with my very own blog at CSUS! Happily my drafts will not focus on me but on alums, alumni events, and current happenings at school.

I will do the me part first and be done with it.  I arrived at Crystal Springs School for Girls in late August of 1976, and I will always be thankful that Dick Loveland was able to get past my Poncho Villa mustache, the long hair and hire me as a Spanish teacher and soccer coach.  

Keep the long hair in mind as I tell you about getting lost in Hillsborough the day before school was to open.  I had moved to an apartment in San Mateo in mid August, and I thought it might be a good idea to figure out where the school was.  One Sunday afternoon I was driving in the approximate location of Crystal but not knowing exactly where it was.  I slowed down by a gentleman walking along, and I asked him if he knew directions to the school.  "Why do YOU (remember the hair) want to know?"  That was my first meeting with co-founder and Board member Bob Steiner!  Things lightened up considerably when I explained who I was.  Bob jumped into my beat up VW hatchback, and we drove together to campus for a quick tour and then on to his lovely home around the corner for drinks.  I knew then that this was going to be a good gig.

That was 33 years ago and I was just 33 years old at the time.  Now you know my age ("crypto").  In this day and age it is not easy to find professionals who have been in one place for half their lives, but it has been easy for me because of the various jobs at school.  I rough chronological order I have been:  Spanish teacher, soccer coach, Language Department Head, Director of Admissions, Dean of Students, Director of Summer Enrichment, Director of Educational Outreach, and now in what may be my final iteration, Philanthropy and Planned Giving Advisor.

My plan is to write about the school from the past and present with a focus on alumni activities.  I have a new Flip video camera and will post events as they happen.  Remember your CSUS Reunion on May 2.  Former faculty members, Michael Petty, Rod "Jake" Jacobsen, Tom Robinson and maybe Jess will be on campus for the event.  That will be great "blog fodder."

JT Horenstein's production in Hollywood

I flew to LA on Monday, March 16 to join Fred Gortner '82, Melissa Dingwell '81  and Stephanie Spangian '92  at the gala evening for JT's indie rock ballet, "Dance the Question" at the Ricardo Montalban Theater on Vine just off Hollywood Drive.  

The show was terrific and has received rave reviews in LA papers.  JT's stint as a juror in a lengthy murder trial provides the artistic inspiration for his production, and it works.  In splendidly choreographed dance backed by rock music, the audience is taken through the events of romantic intrigue that lead to the murder, the trial, the execution and redemption.  

"Dance the Question" is a professional production with legs and a commercially viable future.  We wish JT all the best with "Dance" and hope that he brings the show to San Francisco and our campus.

Check out his web site:  www.dancethequestion.com

And see a short video of alums below.

Conversations with Alumni

Recently we began a new contact with our alumni with the first of what will be a series of "conversations with alumni."  The Alumni Board was interested in creating a link between grads, our current students, and local alumni.  The first "conversation" focused on innovators and entrepreneurs and featured Will Harvey '84 and Jon Fisher '90.  

When Will was a sophomore he sold his Music Construction Set, a fun way to write music on a computer, to Electronic Arts.  I was Dean of Students then, and when the representative from EA arrived on campus unexpectedly looking for Will, I refused to let him take him off campus with out a note from home.  Big showdown!  Finally I got a call into Will's mom who assured me that the EA visit was approved by her.  And as they say, the rest is history.  Will went on to complete his under graduate, Masters and Doctoral degrees at Stanford University.  His most recent computer venture is IMVU; a combination of avatars and instant messaging in a 3D chat space.

Jon is my poster child for success after Crystal.  Professor Fisher is one of America's most innovative thinkers in the area of business, finance and entrepreneurship.  Jon founded Bharosa and successfully sold the online banking identity protection software to Oracle in 2007.  That same year Ernst & Young named him entrepreneur of the year in California.  Jon's recent book release, Strategic Entrepreneurism, offers a guide for developing entrepreneurial concepts and finding a financially viable exit strategy.  Currently Jon serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of San Francisco's School of Business.

So, enough credentials?  Will and Jon spoke for about 45 minute to a standing room only crowd of over 85 in the Conference Room (aka some years ago as the student lounge, and prior to that the mansion's dining room) across from Head of School's office.  They held the mostly high school audience in rapt attention for the entire time and they delivered a great message.  

Will, who spoke first, was clear that people in the business of technology have to be flexible and ready to deal with set backs.  Keep trying.  If you have a good idea someone will to buy it.  When a student asked him how he came to be a tech innovator and entrepreneur, he said, "I liked to build things when I was younger."  Happily, Tom Woosnam had saved Will's balsa bridge from his 1983 Physics Class, and I showed the audience his undefeated bridge that held a remarkable 350 lbs.  Yes, he did like to build things!

Jon's message was to please listen to the adults around you.  Yes, even your parents who know more than you realize.  Follow your dreams and use the resources you learned at Crystal and stay in touch with your classmates. They will be some of your best allies and potential business partners in the future.

Thank you to Will and Jon for setting the bar so high for our future "Conversations with Alumni."