#my favorite part was drawing the stack servers

[pininiu]

Had so much fun with wires and neon that I did a human version

the details are there cuz I wasn’t happy enough with some aspects of the previous one, so we must ✨experiment✨

I love playing around with filters to the point it made my eyes hurt

[i-can-read-to-him]

The Wesper Fic Club's Author Spotlight is a post series that aims to feature two to three fic authors a month, randomly selected from a pool of names put forth on our server. The authors are then asked to answer three interview questions, select up to five of their fics for us to feature, and finally, recommend three fics by others in the fandom.

(Note: Our spotlighted fics are not limited to Wesper, though they tend to be a central pairing in most of our authors' featured works.)

This week, we are putting a spotlight on Ashlynn's writing!

Socials: @oneofthewednesdays (Tumblr) | oneofthewednesdays (AO3)

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Part One: Author Interview

Q: What’s something you haven’t written yet, but want to write in the future?

A:  So, one of my favorite series when I was in high school was The Mediator series by Meg Cabot. I was absolutely obsessed with the budding romance between Jesse and Suze. In fact, I used to write for the fandom back in my fanfiction.net days. Those early fics have been purged from the Internet as far as I can tell. Anyway, I want to write a Mediator AU for the Six of Crows fandom. Instead of zowa powers, Jesper can see dead people. These dead people may or may not include the ghost of his mother. In his first year at university, he ends up moving into a room in a building that used to be an inn back in the 1800s. Wylan is haunting his bedroom. (He was murdered en route to a music conservatory back in the day). Jesper decides to solve the mystery of Wylan’s murder, at first because he is annoyed by his ghostly roommate. He wants to force Wylan to move on so he can have his room to himself. But later Jesper begins to care about Wylan, even falling in love with him. If you have read The Mediator series, you already know how it is going to end…. Also, Paul Slater will be played by Kuwei Yul-Bo. If you know, you know.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the Grishaverse, where would you go?

A: I would travel to Ketterdam to study at the university. I absolutely fell in love with the description in the book, with its crooked little alleyways filled with bookbinders and apothecaries. It reminds me so much of Oxford University in real life. I had the opportunity to conduct archival research at Oxford as a visiting scholar when I was in graduate school. During my two summers in England, I spent hours nestled in the Bodleian Library, surrounded by stacks of books. The design of the Boeksplein is basically the same, but with more interesting gargoyles. I am also about to begin my career as a university professor, so the University of Ketterdam just seems like a good fit… as long as gunfights don’t break out in the reading room.

Q: Apart from sight, what is your favourite of the senses to describe when writing?

A: I absolutely love writing with sound, especially words with subtle onomatopoeia. I love the rustle of leaves on a crisp autumn morning, and the murmur of the wind through the branches of a willow tree. I draw quite a bit of inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe here. When I was young, I fell in love with his description of a heartbeat in “The Tell-Tale Heart.” His poem “The Bells” is absolutely mesmerizing to me, and I borrow sounds from it all the time. Indeed, Poe talks quite a bit about the importance of sound in creating mood in one of his essays—“The Philosophy of Composition”—and it is something I think about quite a bit when I write. I love to use the ticking of clocks and the dripping of water to stretch silences. Finally, I absolutely love movies like the Quiet Place franchise because they are a study in soundscapes. In another life, I think it would have been really cool to become a foley artist in the film industry.

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Part Two: Selected Works

Sleep No More

Teen | 51.1K | Wesper Modern AU, NYC, Homelessness, Angst with a Happy Ending

Sleep No More is my love letter to New York City. In the opening scene, Wylan wakes up on the 7-train as it leaves the tunnel at Hunters Point Avenue. The glare flickers beneath his eyelids, making it impossible to sleep.  I took the same commute on the 7-train for several years when I was working out at a school in Queens. I would spend over an hour on the train, listening to Crooked Kingdom and other audiobooks on my commute. On one of those commutes, I started to consider the challenges Wylan would face as an unhoused teenager in the city. The story evolved from there to include alternating point-of-view chapters between Wylan and Jesper, and of course, some guest appearances from other crows, as they work together to outwit Jan Van Eck.

Musée des Beaux Arts

Teen | 24.6K | Gen with background Wesper, Kanej Friendship, Pre-Canon, Post-Canon, Ableism, Happy Ending

I wrote Musée des Beaux Arts during the Six of Crows Big Bang event back in 2022. I wanted to explore how Wylan and Kaz complement each other as character foils throughout the series. Therefore, the story includes alternating point-of-view chapters, starting with the Queen’s Lady Plague. The title comes from a poem of the same name by W.H. Auden, and I tried to incorporate themes from that poem throughout the story. The poem, in particular, discusses a Pieter Bruegel painting called Landscape with the Fall of Icarus. Therefore, artwork plays a central role throughout the narrative. Each chapter shares a title with a famous painting from the Dutch Golden Age. My favorite chapter is probably the third because I had so much fun writing Jesper. 

Sankta Margaretha and Other Tales Of Sorrow

Teen | 18.4K | Kanej  Hurt/Comfort, Family, Angst, Implied/Referenced Non-con

This was the first story that I ever wrote for the Six of Crows fandom, and it is easily my most popular fic. It follows Mama and Papa Ghafa on their journey to Ketterdam to reunite with their daughter. I had so much fun developing the unique narrative voices for both Mama Ghafa and Papa Ghafa. The Lives of the Saints features heavily in this fic as well. I fell in love with the story of Sankta Margaretha when I first read it, and I wanted to infuse as much of that mythos into the story as possible. It is, at its core, a story about faith and forgiveness. Plus, I got to write one of my favorite interactions between Papa Ghafa and Kaz Brekker. 

Escapology

Teen | 2.2K | Gen  Modern AU, Escape Rooms, Friendship, Humor

Escapology is such a self-indulgent little fic. I am an escape room enthusiast in real life. I have traveled to multiple cities with my friends to complete escape rooms. We have, to date, done thirty-nine rooms together as a team. I wanted to explore the chaotic energy of a Modern AU where the Crows work together to escape an Ice Court-themed escape room. Kuwei is their poor, exhausted gamemaster.  If we ever get our Six of Crows spin-off, I need Netflix to create an exclusive Ice Court escape room in real life. Can you imagine how fun it would be? 

Pas De Deaux 

Teen | 9.7K | Wesper Holidays, Healing, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Post-Canon

I am so fond of this little fic, and not very many people have read it compared to some of the others, but I am not surprised because it was a winter fic that was published well after the winter holidays. It is heavily inspired by the Soldier Prince story in The Language of Thorns, which was in turn heavily inspired by The Nutcracker Suite. Wylan is struggling with less-than-happy memories during Nachtspel, and Jesper helps him make new memories. I started this story writing the kiss at the end, and then had to write nine thousand words to actually get to the kiss.

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Part Three: Author's Recs

Bright Morning Stars by endoftheworld 

Mature | 163.5K | Wesper Hunger Games Crossover, Canon Typical Violence, Rebellion

This is the second story in Now We Are All Chosen Ones. While I would encourage you to read the opening story in the series first, it can absolutely stand on its own as a self-contained story. Jesper has always known that he would be reaped for the Hunger Games. It was only a matter of time. Meanwhile, Wylan is the son of the president, and he begins to realize that he is being watched. Bright Morning Stars keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish, and I absolutely love how the author wove together Six of Crows and the Hunger Games. 

hybrid signal by pyrrhlc

Mature | 110K | Kanej with background Wesper, Helnik  Fairy Tale Curses, Haunted House, Monster Kaz, Hurt/Comfort

Written through the lens of a Beauty and the Beast AU, this is an absolutely gorgeous exploration of not only the love between Kaz and Inej, but also the meaning of forgiveness in all its forms. The worldbuilding is stunning, and I loved how the enchantment transformed each of the crows. There are tragic notes to it, of course, there is an eventual happy ending. 

crystal cut by twosoulsinonehome

Mature | 107K | Wesper Enemies to Lovers, Slow Burn, Figure Skating, Hurt/Comfort

I have reread this fic at least three times since the final chapter was posted in February. It is a figure skating AU. I know nothing about figure skating. However, I was absolutely entranced by the annoyances-to-lovers dynamic throughout the fic. Wylan is a figure skater. Jesper is his coach. Will they kill each other before the end of the season? Or will they kiss each other senseless instead? (Who am I kidding? You already know the answer to that question.)

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Please support our authors by commenting and leaving kudos on any stories of theirs you read and enjoy! Don't forget to also reblog this post and check back soon for our next author spotlight to come.

Interested in joining our server and getting to know our community? Feel free to request an invite via the @i-can-read-to-him ask box.

[imtryingmyfuckingbe]

And If This Is It

First chapter in a short series.

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Mentions: Jess, Sam, Charlie, Cas, Gabriel, Jo, Jules (OC)

Trigger warnings: N/A at the moment

I am the sole author and reserve the rights to my work. However, I am not the owner of Supernatural as a franchise, or the characters including, but not limited to: Dean, Sam, Castiel, Gabriel, Jo, Jess, or Charlie.

CHAPTER ONE:

She pats her apron for a pen. The usual seven pens clipped to her pocket dwindled over the course of her shift as co-workers begged her to borrow one. Today seemed to be the day every server and their mother forgot to come to work prepared. The deep recesses of her smock yielded a stale fry, coins, and lint; no pen. 

Exasperated, Y/N scans the crowded dining room for another waiter. Jules leans against a server stand, reviewing something in his check holder. She makes a beeline towards him, navigating pushed out chairs and close tables. Pieces of conversation flit around the restaurant, creating the cacophony of guests chattering. Sometimes she fights to hear herself think over the endless conversations and clinking of glasses.

One of these days, she would enter this restaurant for the last time. Today is not that day.

Finally at Jules, she reaches for the pen readily presented. He knows her better than most of her co-workers, practically able to read her mind. He and Charlie are the only two she enjoys meeting off-shift. Mumbling a thanks, she weaves her way toward her section and the awaiting guests.

“Have a good night!” Y/N states quickly, the farewell always on the tip of her tongue. Not awaiting a response, she moves to her next table for their drink order.

While speaking to her new guests, a familiar shadow appears in her peripheral a few feet away. She continues with her spiel, on autopilot while recommending drinks and relaying dinner specials. A seasoned server, Y/N easily feigns interest despite her mind focusing on the silhouette by the bar.

Finished retrieving their orders, she tucks her server book into her apron and turns around. Dean leans against the bar, elbows perched on its surface. Y/N holds a finger up so he knows to wait. She rings in the beverages, then returns to Dean, a drink now in his hand. “What’s up, big guy?”  

“Just thought I’d come see my favorite girl,” he purrs, voice sweet but rough. It’s her favorite sound, always sending shivers up and down her spine.

“Well, your favorite girl is fucking slammed. Have a seat. I’ll be by when I can.” She pats his shoulder as she squeezes past him and into the kitchen.

Finished tickets litter the window, along with the respective dishes. Y/N hurriedly piles three plates on one arm, the fourth in her other hand. Aside from the cash flow, the service industry offers better balance and dexterity. For those two reasons, among a total of four, she continues working as a waitress. 

Unfortunately, her job has more banes than boons, including the relentless need to keep moving. After dropping the food off at table 311, she rushes to the bar for her table’s drinks. Then she busses a table, greets another family, cashes out a different one, and, fuck, she forgot to grab the ranch for 504. 

By the time things calm down enough to breathe, Dean nurses drink number three, his only company an empty plate from his finished meal. Y/N sidles into the small space next to him, resting her arm on the back of his chair. He shoots her a blinding smile, and for a moment she revels in the break from the hectic dining room. 

“Having fun?” His voice fights to overcome the rest.

She laughs. “Yeah, I just love the blisters forming on my heels.”

“Get new shoes, dude. You’ve worn those guys down to the soles.”

“Yeah, you try finding affordable and comfortable non-slips. Keep me posted.” She winks. “Oh shit! I didn’t tell you about the fucker at my table.” Dean leans back in his seat and crosses his arms, readying himself for her story. “So, from the start this table is a pain in the ass, right? Well, he orders one of our cheaper burgers. I checked on him a few times before dropping the bill, and when I go back to get their payment, he tells me he didn’t like his burger and wanted it taken off of his check!” 

Dean laughs. She enjoyed telling him her stupid work stories, if only to see his head throw back and eyes glint with amusement. 

“Yeah? What’d you do?”

Y/N leans in a little closer, stage whispering. “I looked him straight in the eyes and told him he should’ve told me before he ate it all, and that he was still going to pay for it.” Another deep chuckle. She pulls back. “Yeah, he wasn’t that happy,” she concludes with a shrug.

“But he paid for it?”

“You know it. Okay, be right back.” 

Another round of drinks; ordered and delivered appetizers; two more checks; and, finally, Y/N’s section empties out. Only two newer tables relax as she starts cleaning up. The end of the day is always her favorite, not simply for the fact of getting to go home and put up her aching feet. 

As guests mosey out and the lobby remains empty, the glow of the restaurant calms her adrenaline. Low lighting and low conversations lend a more intimate atmosphere that washes over Y/N. Not for the first time, she wishes she could live in this feeling. Everything will sort itself out and the world will embrace the afterglow of a bustling dining room as it lulls to a close. Her final tables cash out and leave their booths, bidding her a good night.

Only two men occupy the bar now: Dean and a lonesome straggler. As fellow servers finish their shifts and part ways, more of the floor, both bar and dining, comes under Y/N’s supervision. As a closer, she stays until last call and ensures the restaurant can open smoothly the next day.

Less than an hour, she reminds herself.

She makes her way to the stranger at the bar. Four empty short glasses scatter the counter before him, the fifth cradled in his fingertips. His head hangs over the whiskey, ignoring the game on the television above him. 

Trying not to bother, she gently reaches across him to gather his empty cups. Upon securing the four in her hands, he looks up. His eyes bore into hers, greasy and shaggy hair slightly obscuring his view. With his free hand, he moves the strands. Sweat lines his brows and his cheeks flush with redness.

She knows that look. It is of a man who has had one too many; a man who does not know when to stop. Y/N looks away. The shallowness of his gaze unsettles her. It’s as if he doesn’t truly see her. She steps back from him, shifting the glasses into a better tower.

“All done?” Y/N asks sweetly.

“Think you could share a drink with me, beautiful?”

“‘Fraid not, mister. On the job, you know,” she motions to her uniform, as if it is the only reason she will not sit next to him tonight.

“When are you off?” 

The persistence wears her patience thin. Her bones will her to turn away, but as a server she knows she cannot. Customer service comes first and foremost, especially in an industry where guests believe they know best. “Not for awhile. Would you like me to close your tab?”

He shakes his head. “Another one. I can wait.”

Anxiety reaches into her chest and squeezes its talon fingers. “We’re closing soon, sir. Unfortunately, we stop serving alcohol fifteen minutes prior to locking the doors,” she fibs easily. They don’t close for at least another thirty minutes, and drinks continue until then as well. But the tightness in her chest refuses to release; she wants him gone.

His unrelenting, beady stare stays centered on her face as he sips his whiskey. “I can wait,” he repeats slowly.

She takes a calculated breath, forcing the frustration from expressing itself. “I have to get back to my job,” she curtly replies. 

Without waiting for an answer, she backs away. It is not far enough and not fast enough, as his hand latches onto her free wrist. Y/N looks behind the bar, begging the bartender to return. It’s not that she can’t handle a drunkard, she can; it’s that she doesn’t want to lose her job. If need be, she would most certainly utilize the tower of glasses in her grasp. 

A barstool scratches against the wood floor, drawing the man’s attention for a moment. She yanks her wrist from his grip, pulling it tight to her chest. “Pay your tab, and leave.”

He barely glances at her as he withdraws his wallet, head hung low once more. Tossing a few bills onto the counter next to his remaining glass, he delivers one last withering glance. “Coulda had a good night, honey.” He stalks off to the lobby and out of the front door. 

Her shoulders sag as she releases her breath. 

Finally turning around to finish her duties, she finds Dean standing in front of her, almost chest to chest. His eyebrows crease together, and his lips form a thin line. “I’m okay, Dean. I’m almost done. Just have to close out a few checks.” Silence engulfs the pair, Dean still gauging Y/N’s true feelings. She sighs. “Really. It’s par for the course. I’m good.”

He nods slowly, and she knows he doesn’t believe her. “Movie night?” Dean changes the subject.

“Yeah. Let me finish up.”

She returns to her path to the kitchen, stowing the glasses in the rack by the dishwasher. At the sink by the door into the dining room, she washes her hands, taking extra care to scrub her wrist raw. 

In the thirty minutes left before close, Y/N stacks the chairs on the tables, takes the pitchers of water to the back, and completes general cleaning. The closing manager signs her off, and she is free to go. 

Dean leans against the driver’s side of her Mustang, flashing his winning grin when he sees her. The crinkle of his eyes halts Y/N’s breath. She pushes down the hammering of her heart until it reaches her stomach, and then her feet and out into the world. He reserves this smile for a select few; she sends thanks up to the Universe that she is one of them. 

“M’lady,” he says with a sweeping gesture to her door.

She laughs, unlocking it. “Why, thank you, good sir!” Y/N opens her door, tossing her apron and purse haphazardly in the passenger seat. “So where are we meeting? It’s Sammy’s turn, right?”

“Affirmative. Most of the crew is already there. Just missing us two.”

“Sounds good. I need a fucking drink.”

Dean nods, “You and me, both.”

She slides into the driving seat and turns on her car, raising her eyebrows and squinting at him. “You had, what? Four drinks? Yeah, you had four drinks here.”

“Yeah, then I ate my weight in a burger and onion rings. I can handle another glass.”

“Or two,” they say in unison. She rolls her eyes. 

“Right, well we best get going. It’s already late. They’re probably done with the film.”

“Nah, I told them to wait a bit. Plus, Charlie just got there. She didn’t leave too much before you.”

Dean closes her door, then points his finger towards the pavement, telling her to roll her window down. She complies, and he rests his folded arms on the edge. His eyes search her face, as if caressing her cheek and lips in his mind. “What?” she whispers as Bob Dylan plays through her radio.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispers back.

She rolls her eyes again, this time to keep the blush in her heart from reaching her face. “All right, casanova. Let’s go.”

He winks at her before making his way to his car. She follows him to Sam’s apartment, paying poor attention to the road. He’s a flirt, she knows, but when he says stupid things like that she wonders. From the start of their friendship, Y/N knew she would fall hard for Dean. The confidence in his walk, the way he says her name. And those eyes. Those godforsaken eyes.

Out of respect for their relationship, however, she refuses to say anything about her feelings. Any time she gets close to blurting out “I love you!” her mind screams back “What if! What if! What if!”. And that was more than enough to make her mouth shut and her feelings recede into their marked lock box at the back of her thoughts. 

Dean pulls into the complex first, choosing a spot with another empty one to his left. When she parks next to him, Dean already stands at her door. He pulls it open, waiting for her to grab her purse. Laughter escapes from the windows of the apartment above and down to the couple. Warmth spreads throughout Y/N’s body; her crew of friends reminds her of cinnamon and late Sunday mornings. They are home.

Together, the two climb the three levels to Sam’s apartment. The unlocked door opens to reveal Sam and Gabriel in an arm wrestling match, the rest of the company cheering for either side. Upon seeing Y/N and Dean enter the room, the shouts turn to welcomes. Jo comes to meet Y/N for a hug, however she holds up her hand.

“I need a deep cleansing shower before I hug you,” Y/N warns.

“Long night?”

“You could say that. I’ll be back, guys.”

Y/N heads towards the back of the apartment for Sam’s main shower. The guest bathroom, however nice, did not possess the same water pressure or showerhead functions. Digging through her purse, she secures a clean pair of shorts and socks, but no shirt. Fuck. She just wishes to get clean and put on comfortable clothing. Her day, all things considered, hadn’t been the worst. However, the end of the night lingers on her tongue like cheap tequila: sharp and unpleasant. 

Sighing in defeat, she heads back to the living room. Dean seemingly took over for Gabriel in the challenge, his hand clasped in Sam’s. The veins in his arm pop from beneath his tightened skin and his nose scrunches in concentration. Y/N leans against the wall, enjoying the show. 

As much as Dean wants to be the big man in his brotherhood, Sam gives him a run for his money. Even still, Y/N knows Dean will win. He’d rather break his wrist than forfeit any dare. With a triumphant bang, Dean slams Sam’s hand onto the dining table.

The surrounding crowd cheers and boos, respectively. Y/N smiles. 

Taking the reprieve in the boys’ games, she walks up behind Dean and places her hands on his shoulders. “Good job!” His eyes shine when they meet hers, the brightest green she’d ever seen. Forest, stone, the sea; nothing could compete with those eyes. His toothy grin returns her to the present, where her palms burn into the thin fabric of his shirt. Addressing the room, she asks, “Does anyone have a shirt or something I can borrow? I forgot to pack one.”

Before anyone can answer, Dean picks his sweatshirt up from beside him and passes it to her. She smiles thankfully, patting his shoulder, and returns to the master bath.

Y/N takes her time, reveling in the beat of the pressure against her back and shoulders. The tension held at the nape of her neck melts away with the tea tree body wash, down the drain, and far, far away. The eucalyptus hanging from the shower head cools her anger from the night, and that daring man. 

Of all the things she became accustomed to as a waitress, someone putting their hands on her was not one. A guest angry over a stupid mistake; a spilled cocktail; shitty coworkers. She can handle it all with ease. However, the gall of someone touching her? It kicked her into high gear, and she had no fight or flight instinct. She will always choose to fight, job security be damned.

She steps from the shower, glad Sam and Jess know how to choose their towels. Dean’s sweatshirt covers her hands and falls to her midthigh. When she requested a top from the group, she hoped Dean would offer. His cologne lingers on the collar of the hoodie, mixing with Y/N’s shampoo and conditioner. She breathes it in until it fills her lungs and takes over her common sense. If Dean were here now, she knows she would grab him by his neck and lay a kiss to his lips. 

And his cheek.

And his neck.

And anywhere else she could reach.

Although grateful he isn’t here, she wishes he were.

Finally clean and comfortable, Y/N returns to the living room. The blue screen illuminates the room, dancing across her friends’ faces. Charlie, Jo, Gabe, and Cas take up the large couch, Jess and Sam cuddle on the loveseat, and Dean sits on the double wide recliner. Without a second thought, she joins him. He wraps his arm around her shoulders, pulling the blanket over her bare legs. 

Sam’s choice movie of the night, Cabin in the Woods, blares over the surround-sound speakers. Y/N rests her head against Dean’s shoulder, and he pulls her closer. For a moment, it feels like the emptying dining room. Dim christmas lights shine from the ceiling. Dean’s chest rises and falls with each breath. For a moment, her world has sorted itself out, and she exists in the afterglow of a finished day.

[lachanterelle-endicott]

Emma Guilfoil: A Chef, A Server, A Student & A Steward

It’s a Thursday night around 6:30 p.m. and the doors have just opened to the wine tasting room. Service students greet each guest and seat them at a table. Culinary students are patiently waiting to plate the food they have just finished preparing. In about 20 minutes, it is starting time for the next three hours. La Chanterelle is a place where people of all ages and backgrounds come together to share in one common goal: to create a unique and memorable experience for each guest who dines. It may be hectic at times, but there is always a sense of urgency and confidence that soars through each student. The professors are there to teach the students, but oftentimes the students return the favor and teach the professors something new. Emma Guifoil is a sophomore Hospitality Management student that was given the gift of both student and professor. Emma started her freshman year at Endicott as a culinary student and ended working the front of the house as a server. She made such an indelible mark on the family of La Chanterelle, that she was asked to return in the fall to be the executive steward, another term for a dishwasher. Emma, knowing that she had learned so much from everyone she worked with during freshman year, understood that this was an opportunity to give back and help students learn the ins and outs of one of the best places on the Massachusetts North Shore. With that in mind, she said yes. Below is only a short spotlight on the conversation with Emma, and it will entice readers to think more deeply about the powerful effects of practical learning.

Q: Where are you originally from? 

A: I am originally from Lake George New York, in Upstate NY

Q: Why did you choose Endicott? 

A: I chose Endicott ironically because of La Chanterelle. No other school I visited had this hand on experience that teaches students the front and back of the house of the restaurant industry because it is important to start by knowing the basics. In addition, the small class sizes and the professors being so approachable, friendly and so helpful to achieve our dreams in the hospitality career.

Q: What are your hobbies outside of La Chanterelle? 

A: My hobbies outside of La Chanterelle are photography, drawing, and going to the gym

Q: When did you start working at La Chanterelle? 

A: I started working at La Chanterelle September 5, 2019. It came about during the last semester of freshman year and I was approached by Professor Ryan Blodgett. I had to take a meeting with him about our final exam, and he asked me if I wanted to be the dishwasher for the next semester. He said that they really thought of me because I had the respect of my classmates, I worked really hard, and this would help out my financial situation. I didn’t have to come about it then and there, but on our final practical exam I accepted the position and stated that I was excited to go back to La Chanterelle and help out the new freshmen come about and see why it is an amazing experience. 

Q: What is your daily routine each Thursday?

A: Each Thursday, I get there at 2:00 p.m. and I change into my uniform after dropping my stuff off in Kayla’s office. I first pour water into the air pockets in the ground to help the ovens not overheat and stay cool. I then fill up the three sinks on the right hand side of the kitchen: one with hot soapy water, one with water, and one with cleaner. We take a break and have a group discussion sitting around the table talking about what guests have dietary restrictions, who is coming, VIPs, and who gets the bill. Then Dr. Cronin explains what the amuse bouche is and he tells me the plate counts for him and Rebecca. 25 plates for chicken and 15 for beef. After the plate counts, I go back to the kitchen and start setting up. I get the glassware out, I run dishes through the dishwasher. I stack the plates and wash them for Rebecca’s dessert first so that they can cool and then I wash all the other plates for when they are needed. I line up the plates for the kids so it is organized and looks professional. I also do the flower arrangements and I set up the coffee station. Then the kids start coming in and I continue washing dishes. 

Q: What would you say the hardest part of your job is?

A: Good question. I would say the timing part is the hardest, both in service and culinary. There are some days that kids are going so fast that they’re already ready for entrees when the amuse bouche hasn’t even come out yet. That makes it hard for me to get the plates ready because I have to scramble for when each kid is in their certain position. 

Q: What are some observations you have made by working at La Chanterelle?

A: I always see that if you take service first semester, culinary seems to be a little easier. By taking service first, you know the pace that everything has to go at, so you are a little more prepared when it comes to culinary. Culinary to service is a slower pace. Also, the kids get nervous during the first three weeks, but by the end of the semester they realize that they don’t have to ask many questions and they are much more confident. This brings calmness into the kitchen after the fourth week. 

Q: What is your interaction with the students? 

A: I have a pretty good interaction because the culinary kids ask a lot of questions because they respect my space and understand my job. It’s fun and upbeat and you can crack jokes. In service, it’s a little harder because I’m in the thick of it and they put things in the wrong place. Here, I am a little more stern because I want them to learn. 

Q: What would be your favorite part about working as a dishwasher?

A: Probably seeing the kids start to finish. Culinary makes their plates look really elegant as the weeks go on, and service works on their synchronized service. It is really nice to see the growth with the kids and eating family dinner is great too. 

Q: Have you had a most memorable night working at La Chanterelle?

A: In the dish pit, it was right before Christmas break where a lot of the culinary students couldn’t show up. I had to step in and time manage myself in the dish pit while help serve and plate the main entrees and amuse bouche. I also had to help service kids with the new coffee machines. I was mostly out of the dish pit that night, but I had a lot of dishes to do after. For a night, I got to do all three aspects of La Chanterelle. 

Q: What is your dream job in the hospitality field? 

A: The practical answer would be to work at a DMC (destination management company) and sell cities like Boston to even companies to have their events in a certain city. My dream job though would be to work on a mega yacht and travel the world. 

Q: Has this experience changed your mindset on restaurants in general, or what you want to do in the future? 

A: It has definitely changed my perspective on restaurants because I never really wanted to go into restaurants before I had this job. However, now since I’ve been through all three aspects of it, I think it’s nice to know all aspects of an industry. It has changed for the better. 

Q: What advice would you give the person who will fill your shoes next?

A: I would say to stay calm. It isn’t as hectic as you think. I thought it would be really stressful, but it’s so much easier to get the plates out then you think. Have fun with it because it is a fun atmosphere, and work hard. Make sure you are on time with plates so everything can run smoothly. Be nice. You were in their shoes once, so they look up to you and want the same learning experience that you had. 

Q: Can you tell me about the different people that work at La Chanterelle?

A: Johnathan and Niko are in the front of the house and they are international stagiaires. Niko is from Italy and Johnathan is originally from Switzerland. Johnathan is a wine connoisseur, so he really likes wine, and does the bar in the front of the house for tastings and he chooses the wine for each night and teaches wine theory. Being from Switzerland, he knows what it takes to have high class service to give the kids. Niko also helps out with service and he is stern while teaching the kids to make sure they are the best they can be. Kayla is our graduate student from Endicott and she is the back of the house runner that helps make sure the students put the orders correctly into the PMS system. She is very calm and a really great teacher because she explains the why behind what the students are doing. She also works really hard to calm everyone’s nerves down. Rebecca is an adjunct that works as a pastry chef while also balancing her own baking company. She strives for success and allows kids to make mistakes and ask questions. Professor Cronin is a very kind person who wants to see everyone succeed. He is very hands on and shows you what to do first and then allows you to follow what he does. He believes that you should put your best foot forward because this is your education and La Chanterelle makes Endicott so special. Endicott students get more internships and jobs after graduation because we prepare for all aspects of every industry. He uses this medium to inform students of everything he can. 

Q: What would you say is the best part of working with Chef Cronin?

A: He wants to make sure you are okay both mentally and physically because he knows how busy my schedule is. He always tries to do the best for you and he wants to see you succeed both in school and in your work. Since I am a vegetarian, he always makes sure that I get the fish. He always checks in on me, and I think that’s great. As a supervisor, he is just so caring. He wants you to succeed in all aspects of your life. 

Q: How has this hands on learning shaped you? 

A: This hands-on learning helped shape me by showing me what it takes to be in this industry (hard work, dedication,) and it allowed me to learn from my mistakes and grow my knowledge of this industry unlike any other college could provide.  

Q: What is your favorite dish to cook or eat at La Chanterelle?

A: My favorite dish to eat at La Chanterelle the Atlantic Salmon with the broccoli florets. But my favorite dessert is raspberry tiramisu. 

Q: How have you grown since working at La Chanterelle?

A: I have grown because now my time-management skills are impeccable now. LOL. From making sure that plates for each course are hot and ready for the culinary kids to serve. Also, it has helped me progress my knowledge on how restaurants run behind the scenes and see how our professors prepare to help us gain the most of our education at La Chanterelle. 

Thank you, Emma Guilfoil, for this amazing interview. As we can see, she has learned more in two short years than many learn in a decade. I hope this interview inspires people to go outside of their comfort zones and say yes. You never know how you will grow and learn.

[computersystemsdesign]

PerfStack for Multi-dimensional Performance Troubleshooting

I have been talking about the complexity of resolving performance issues in modern data centers. I’ve particularly been talking about how it is a multi-dimensional problem. Also, that virtualization significantly increases the number of dimensions for performance troubleshooting. My report of having been forced to use Excel to co-ordinate brought some interesting responses. It is indeed a very poor tool for the purpose of consolidating performance data, a real nightmare. I have also written in other places about management tools that are focussed on the data they collect, rather than helping me resolve issues. What I really like about PerfStack is the ability to use the vast amount of data in the various SolarWinds tools to identify the source of performance problems.

The central idea in PerfStack is to gain insights across all of the data that is gathered by various SolarWinds products. Importantly, PerfStack allows the creation of ad-hoc data collections of performance data. Performance graphs for multiple objects and multiple resource types can be stacked together to identify correlation. My favorite part was adding multiple different performance counters from the different layers of infrastructure to a single screen. This is where I had the Excel flashback, consolidation of the data sources. Only here the consolidation is done programmatically, no need for me to make sure the time series match up. I loved that the performance graphs were re-drawing in real time as new counters were added. Even better was that the redraw was fast enough that counters could be added on the off chance that they were relevant. Then removed just as fast when they were not relevant. The hours that I spent (wasted) building Excel graphs could have turned into minutes of building a PerfStack workspace.

I have written elsewhere about systems management tools that get too caught up in the cool data that they gather. These tools typically have fixed dashboards that give pretty overviews. They often cram as much data as possible into one screen. What I tend to find is that these tools are inflexible about the way the data is combined. The result is a dashboard that is good at showing that everything is, or is not, healthy but does not help a lot with resolving problems. The dynamic nature of the PerfStack workspace lends itself to getting insight out of the data and helping identify the cause of problems. Being able to quickly assemble together the data on the load on a hypervisor and the VM operating system as well the application statistics will speed troubleshooting. Quickly add performance counters for the other application dependencies allows rapid pinpointing of the cause of the issue. It may be that the root cause is a domain controller that is overloading it’s CPU, while the symptom is a SharePoint server that is unresponsive. PerfStack allows very rapid discovery of the causes of issues. The value of PerfStack will vastly increase as it is rolled out across the entire SolarWinds product suite.

You can see the demonstrations of PerfStack that I saw at Tech Field Day on Vimeo: NetPath here and SAM here.

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