by Grace Dossett
It is immediately evident when speaking to Ruby Walker just how much she loves her job. On Tuesday afternoon, I had the opportunity to sit down with Ruby. A Monteagle native and grandmother, she shared her experiences from her first year working at Sewanee.
Despite being relatively new to the campus, Ruby has already made her mark as the spirited pizza chef who is always eager to talk with students. She fully attributes her love of Sewanee and always-positive attitude to her daily interactions with students, stating that even though she is “old enough tobe their great-grandmother” they are still the best thing about her job. Ruby offered up some entertaining opinions, ranging from the degeneration of country music to the best burger in town.
Q: Where did you learn to cook?
A: Honestly, I really can’t boil water without scorching it. I’m kidding! My mother taught me a lot back a long time ago and then my mother-in-law taught me a lot. I also learned a lot from working in the Dubose Conference center in Monteagle. I was actually on the office staff years ago. In the summer, the camps would come down. Sometimes I would go help with the food. One year we had 700 people!
Q: What is your favorite McClurg meal?
A: Lunch. I like pork tenderloin and sautéed or steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes. So I guess dinner actually.
Q: What is your favorite Sewanee/Monteagle restaurant and why?
A: The Monteagle Diner. I love it because it smaller… family like. I also use to work there. My brother owned it. They have a breakfast buffet and they used to have the best hamburgers, I’m sure they still do!
Q: What are your hobbies?
A: I love to sew and make clothes.
Q: What kind of music do you listen to?
A: I used to like country music and some of it I still do but to me country’s not country anymore. I also like 96.9 in Huntsville, Alabama. They play the Beatles and different things like that. I always liked the Beatles.
Q: What is your favorite thing about working here?
A: My favorite part of working here is being able to do the job as best as I can and being able to be with the students. I enjoy working with all my supervisors and the other employees, but, above all, I really enjoy the students.
Q: What do you like about working with college students?
A: I can stay forever young!