Central Michigan University chef befriends students after traveling, celebrating world

• Tweet
• 

Standing at 6 feet and 6 inches with long hair and a hippie style, 62-year-old John Noland always stands out in a crowd.

Noland moved to Mount Pleasant eight years ago looking for a fresh start, and he has been a cook on campus ever since. Noland works at Merrill Residential Restaurant and said he takes pride in planning meals that are both tasty and healthy.

Noland has made an effort to increase vegetarian choices and uses products from local markets in his meals.

While sauces are his specialty, he wants to provide meals that keep everyone happy.

“My mother taught me to cook when I was a child and it’s something I’ve enjoyed doing since,” Noland said. “I get to develop new things, and I get pleasure in making something that makes someone go, ‘Yum, that’s good.’”

Music is another of Noland’s life pleasures. He has sang and played guitar since 1966, and also teaches at no charge.

Folk music is his specialty. Noland said he likes the fact that it is acoustic, has meaning and can be taken anywhere.

Chelsea Hummon, a 2009 CMU alumna and close friend of Noland, loves to listen to the stories he has to tell through his music.

“My favorite times are when he forgets that he’s in a room full of people and starts playing songs he learned in Vietnam,” Hummon said.

Noland has been around the world, and he said his experiences in the Vietnam War play a big role in his life.

Hummon has known Noland since her freshman year at CMU, and he has become like a part of her family.

“Just by being there, John has had a huge impact in my life,” Hummon said. “He reminds me that it’s really important to not pass by someone without interacting with them, because you never know who might be your best friend.”

Noland considers himself a pacifist with a very simple lifestyle. He is not into technology, loves to be around people and enjoys being a “safe haven” of the town.

His nature-loving personality pushes him to be pro-green. He participated alongside Hummon in Power Shift, a political movement for environmentally friendly energy changes. He has also helped a friend develop a compost system at CMU.

Matt Phillips, a 2006 CMU alumnus, became part of Noland’s young group of friends. The two have driven across the country visiting major national parks, and enjoy playing music together.

“We bond well on a philosophical level,” Phillips said. “We have a lot in common with similar views. And when he talks, while it’s simple, it always has a lot of meaning.”