On Friday, Lewis Hall will open its doors for the annual Lewis Hall of Pancakes, called LHOP by students. At this event, the women of Lewis provide an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet throughout all four floors of the building. For $5, students from all across campus will have the chance to experience Lewis Hall’s signature event. The organizers of the event will donate all proceeds to the Food Bank of Northern Indiana, just as they have in the past.
“It started because students in Lewis wanted to have a cool event to raise money,” sophomore Dana Plagenz, one of the event’s organizers, said. “We’re a really unique dorm in that we have kitchens on every floor, so it just worked out for us to cook food for people. And I think Lewis is kind of secluded in location, so it’s nice for people to show their friends where exactly Lewis is.”
“[Our goal is] to raise more money than we have in the past,” Plagenz added. “I just want to get as many people to come as possible, because it’s a really good cause.”
Organizing the event is no small task. Residents of Lewis Hall are asked to submit applications, which the hall president then reviews. Those deemed the most qualified earn a commissioner position on the Lewis Hall council to coordinate the intricacies and details of the event.
“The responsibilities [of being an event organizer] include ... getting everyone to sign up for shifts, publicity, order the food and getting all that prepared ... and being there on the night of for every time that something goes wrong,” sophomore Kelly Kolleck, the event’s other organizer, said.
Ordering and keeping track of the food has proven to be the most stressful task, the co-organizers said. With hopes of 1,500 attendees, those in charge are tasked with ordering the correct amount of food, storing and preparing the the food.
“There’s just so much [food],” Kolleck said. “Feeding maybe 1,500 people, it’s just huge quantities.”
For the first time in event history, Lewis Hall will open up a gluten-free kitchen to accommodate those with dietary restrictions who would like to participate. The gluten-free kitchen will be open for a limited time during the event because organizers have no frame of reference for ordering the correct amount of food. Plagenz and Kolleck said they were excited to be able to offer the experience to those who would not have been able to partake in the past.
Unlike in previous years, the Lewis Hall of Pancakes will be cash-only due to high club activity this year. The event will take place from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. in Lewis Hall, right behind the Dome.
“There are people in chicken suits,” Plagenz said. “You go in, you pay and you can go to any floor and eat your food and meet new people. It’s crazy, but a lot of fun.”
Lewis Hall prepares for annual LHOP fundraiser
Photo courtesy of Dana Plagenz
Residents of Lewis Hall volunteer for their signature event, Lewis Hall of Pancakes, an annual
all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet. The event raises money to support the Food Bank of Northern Indiana.
