Seated at the right-side cash register of the Palladium dining hall, Demise Gist won’t let you leave without a drizzle of motivation and motherly love. 

Many students’ interactions with dining hall employees are limited to the swipe of a card and a quick “thank you.” But with employees like Gist, who is known among the student body for her uplifting personality and motivational words, even the monotonous action of grabbing a meal feels like a chat with an old friend. Having even garnered her own Reddit thread full of praise, Gist not only upholds the daily functions of NYU Dining, but also keeps up a vivacious spirit through what can feel like never-ending, tiring days.

“Students, specifically their smiles, keep me alive,” she said. “And I like being able to encourage them, be uplifting and supportive to them.”

Gist, 61, commutes from the Bronx for her shifts at Palladium. She grew up in Georgia, where she worked as a sous-chef in her hometown before moving to New York City in 1990 and landing a prep cook job at Citi Field Stadium in Queens. Gist’s career at NYU began five years ago, and she has no intention of leaving anytime soon — her love for the students she serves is what keeps her going.

“It’s not the food that keeps you coming back,” Gist said. “It’s how the people treat you. I’ve worked in food service all my life, and nobody don’t want to come to a cafeteria where you grumpy or mean. You have to check them issues at the door, and then you have to try to bring out the best in people.”

While Gist now works exclusively at Palladium, she previously worked at other NYU dining halls. However, the opportunity for student interaction at Palladium, which also houses nearly 1,000 NYU students, remains her favorite. She also mentioned her love of the close-knit community of Palladium dining hall employees. 

“I like the freedom that I have with the students,” Gist said. “I got time to talk to them. I like the people that I work with. It’s more of a congruent atmosphere — we try to work together, we try to look out for each other.”

Her affection doesn’t just translate through her warm words, but also through her actions — as students line up to pay for their food, she greets them with fist bumps and hugs. 

“One of my main things is midterms,” Gist said. “They’d be grumpy doing midterms and the finals and stuff. I say, look, they don’t just let anybody into NYU. You’re already destined for greatness, right? So why [will taking] a midterm or final go mess up destiny? You already got this.”

Gist’s motivation and affection rarely goes unreciprocated. Over the years, students have showered her with gifts — painting her pictures and gifting her cakes, picture frames and even a beaded necklace, which she proudly wears to work.

“An Australian student bought me some Tim Tams, and I had never had them before,” she smiled. “It just tickles me to death that they appreciate me.”

Gist also appreciates that students keep her up to date on pop culture — most recently, she learned about Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance.

“I was gonna try to play his music [at the dining hall] while the Super Bowl was going on,” Gist said. “But Kendrick Lamar be cussing too much — he gonna make me lose my job.”

One of Gist’s biggest takeaways from working at NYU, however, is the range of cultures she has been able to learn about and experience through the university’s diverse student body. She asks students how they celebrate different holidays, including Ash Wednesday, Ramadan and Lunar New Year. Coming from the South, she appreciates how NYU’s diversity gives her the chance to engage with people from around the world — an experience she might not have had otherwise.

“Sometimes it’s students’ first time away from home, so they got to feel safe somewhere,” she said. “And why can’t it be at Palladium?”

Contact Aryana Arora at [email protected].