The truth behind the dining options on campus: are our options really that diverse?
by Gavin Meade ’20, Opinion Editor
To a potential applicant, Hamilton College seems to have wonderfully diverse food options. The College website boasts, “[we have] two dining halls, a diner, a pub, two cafes and a smoothie bar to satisfy your cravings and keep you fueled.” To any student who’s been on campus for more than a month, the promises and pictures of happy students on Hamilton’s website fail to measure up.
When they are open, McEwen and Commons Hall are two fantastic dining options. McEwen, known in the tacit culture of campus as more vegetarian and vegan friendly, opens at 7:30 a.m. for breakfast and is open until 8:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. On Friday, McEwen closes at 2:30 p.m. and is not open at all on Saturday or Sunday.
This means that on the weekends the only place to get food (before the Howard Diner opens at 3 p.m.) is Commons, as it is open for more hours than its’ more health-conscious compliment on the Dark Side.
The Little Pub is open Monday through Friday from 11p.m.to1 p.m. and the regular inhabitants of Pub are remarkably homogenized.
This is not new. In every conversation of dining options or social spaces on campus, people refer to the Pub as a polarizing space. The perception is that Pub most people that frequent pub are (mostly) white athletes or members of Greek Life. As luck would have it, I did my final for an Anthropology course on the ethnographic differences between Opus and the Pub. Clearly this schism exists and it limits the already limited dining options during the week.
Opus 1 and Opus 2 are both great options for niche purchases, but unless you want to spend a significant chunk of change, you do not often patron these cafes for food. The same story goes for Euphoria. If you are looking to indulge, then Euphoria is a tasty treat, but it is not a reliable dining option for students.
The best food on campus is not on the meal plan.Ultimately, the options for food and refueling during the day are quite good. They of course have their flaws, but no system of dining is perfect. It is my rm belief that Bon Appetit and Hamilton provide more than adequate options during the day. My primary concern is with the options for food during weekends and in the evening.
Diner is the only consistent option for food, regardless of the day of the week. The food from the diner is unquestionably delicious, but for individuals who are vegan, vegetarian, or health conscious, it is not the best option. Currently if you are an athlete with a late practice, or you have obligations or work during regular operating hours for Commons or McEwen, your choices are to eat diner or attempt to make food in your room. This may be a viable choice for students who are lucky enough to live in a suite with a well-equipped fridge and kitchen, but for those in the majority of living spaces on campus, this is not a viable option. Having good and healthy food later at night works at other schools, and it should work here too.
