Issue date: 2/5/10 Section: Opinion

Once upon a time, President Brian Casey asked mentors and RAs if we, as a campus community, would give up lunch. I had hoped that this meant that I soon wouldn't be the only one sitting in The Den working on homework during the afternoons and that soon I'd see members of different greek houses and students of varying ages joining me in my new favorite study spot. But, unfortunately, it seems like this fairy tales has yet to become a reality.

During track season last year, I had the opportunity to eat in Sewanee's cafeteria. If ever there was a dining hall that looked like Hogwarts, this was it. The food was amazing and it was an all-you-can-eat buffet of healthy portions. The salad bar was as colorful as the stained glass windows that let light into the room. Vegetarian and vegan options were available at every station and weren't just the same dishes prepared without meat. Stir-fry and smoothies were freshly prepared everyday. And to top it off, there was enough room for a majority of the student body to sit in the dining hall at one time.

I guess you could consider Sewanee to be my fairy godmother. It showed me what eating in college should be like: a magical kingdom where the fountain drinks flowed freely and the cost was based on how many meals you ate, not on what you had on your plate.

I guess I understand why campus doesn't come join me for lunch. If I had the option of eating as much as I wanted of freshly prepared food at a greek house for every meal, I'd probably choose it, too.

There's just something unappealing about the prospect of waiting in a line for at least twenty minutes for a panini or a mashed potato bowl during the lunch hours of the Hub, particularly if you know that once you get through the line, you may have to eat outside on a cold day because of a lack of available tables. It's almost like inviting too many guests to the ball.

Lunch could and should be somewhere that would stimulate the intellectual conversation that President Casey wants. However, with the seating situation as it is, you're lucky if you find a table to sit at, let alone if it's with people who you feel comfortable having those discussions with.

Imagine if we traded the circular tables in the Hub for rectangular tables the length of the building. You'd have unlimited amounts of space for large parties so classes or mentor groups could meet during lunch without having to pull chairs and have students eat in their lap. You'd never know - you might end up sitting by at lunch, adding an element of adventure to the jungle trek that is navigating the Hub.

While I know that President Casey is trying to turn the pumpkin of our eating existence into a luxurious communal carriage, it doesn't seem like that's going to happen anytime soon, unless the carriage happens to look like Hogwarts and has enough room for 2,000 of my closest friends to eat with me.



- Meredith McGrady is a junior majoring in anthropology from Indianapolis and is an Honor Scholar.

opinion@thedepauw.com

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