If the line stretching all the way down the hallway wasn't enough of a clue, Weill Cornell Medical College employees had to have known something special was going on when they finally got through the front door of the Garden Café on March 6 and experienced the loud music, a bevy of under-the-sea decorations, and a shimmering, dancing mermaid to welcome them to the Employee Appreciation Day celebration.
Inside the Garden Café, in the basement level of 1300 York Ave., managers and supervisors manned the buffet lines, serving hundreds of employees hot dogs, burgers, corn on the cob, barbecue chicken and potato salad. Similar celebrations took place at the Medical College offices located at 100 Broadway and 575 Lexington Ave.
"The importance of our employees to the success of this institution cannot be overstated," said Dean Antonio M. Gotto Jr. "Employee Appreciation Day is our way of saying 'thank you' for the dedication and commitment of our staff."
To enhance the festive spirit of Employee Appreciation Day, the Garden Café was transformed into a seaside party. Sailboats sprang up everywhere, and the requisite sailors' caps found their way to the heads of many folks both serving the food and those happily accepting it. Commemorative photographs were taken and complimentary Weill Cornell Medical College drawstring bags were handed out.
"I think it's nice," said Sonia Noboa, who has worked for the laundry department for 17 years. "It's a lot of fun for us."
Garden Café
Ahoy! Popeye and a merry mermaid welcomed Weill Cornell employees to the festivities on Employee Appreciation Day, March 6.
From left: Radiology staff members Jennifer Hess, Rowena Yip and Michael Klingler.
Dr. Richard Silver shares a smile with the fair sea maiden.
Other staff and administrators helped serve food.
From left: Rosemarie Malcolm, Carla David and Darlene Rojas of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology.
From left: Opthalmology graduate student Prabha Sarangi; and opthalmology postdocs Szu-Yi Chou, Ya-Chu Hsu, Natalia Gruzdeva, Yongen Chang and Aiqun Li.
575 Lexington Ave. Offices
Gary Strysko (P.O.) and Vanessa Blau (P.O.)
Eric Coleman (P.O.) and Daniel Pazos (P.O.)
Grace Wilkens (P.O.) and Barry Klusky (P.O.)
Physician Organization employees Kai Teng Chi, Victor Kamara and Wendell Chen.
100 Broadway Offices
Homer Lawrence (Finance) and Fitzgerald Lee (Finance)
Fred Ortiz (Finance) and Ewart Johnson (Finance)
Derek Spears (Finance) and Claudia Mills (Finance)
From left: Tim Keohan (ITS), Louise Rivas (Finance) and George Marino (ITS).
Photography by Richard Lobell, Amelia Panico and Weill Cornell Art & Photography.