Pretty much everyone at Haverford complains about the Dining Center (more commonly referred to as the DC). I can agree the food may not be the most palatable and that it may be lacking in nutritious value. However I find that the DC is really about so much more than food. In all seriousness, it’s one of the greatest places for people watching that I’ve even encountered, especially if you snag a spot at one of the long tables on the stage. I think that an hour of observation in the DC offers a whole new level of insight into the depths of the human mind that no psychology or sociology class could ever teach. So, in the many hours that I have spent in the DC eating and taking in my surroundings, I’ve learned a couple of things:
1) People get aggressive when it comes to food.
Ever go to the DC right when it opens for dinner at 5? Yeah, well I have. People line up at the one card swiper person’s station minutes before opening and after swiping they flood through the doors like they’re at a WalMart on Black Friday. Why? The food’s not going to run out, and I assume they are aware of that. Furthermore, ever see someone sprint across the DC to get a slice of Oreo pie because they’re friend just told them there were only a few slices left? Yeah, well I have, too. I’m going to be honest, I’m guilty of this fast paced shuffle/run to get dwindling baked goods. In addition, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen some of my friends shed tears when they’d caught wind that the soft serve ice cream machine was broken.
So, why do people possess this irrational aggression to obtain as much food as possible? Why is there such an emotional attachment? Well, this one I’m going to chalk up to pure biology. I think Sir Charles Darwin would agree with me when I say that this is a shining example of “Survival of the Fittest.” Somewhere in the back of our minds, we as humans, are concerned about where our next meal is coming from. Hence, when the opportunity to gather food and subsequently gorge ourselves arises, it’s not a light matter. If we don’t beat someone to the Oreo pie, they’re going to get it, and then they’ll have a leg up on survival over us. Of course, in modern society this doesn’t make much sense and really, the only thing that Oreo pie slice will give them a leg up on is the development of a muffin top or diabetes.
2) People aren’t comfortable eating alone.
It’s one of those moments you dread: you and one of your friends go to sit down at a table, but on the walk over she veers away claiming that she has to toast her bagel. Brat! Doesn’t she know that the toasters barely work? Now, you’re forced to sit at the table alone for a good minute and thirty seconds. But, that minute and thirty seconds feels like eternity. Your heart pounds and your hands sweat as you try to act extremely interested in and preoccupied with your eggs. You poke and prod those things until they have the texture of applesauce. You feel like everyone’s gaze is upon you: the lonely girl. But, really, probably no one is looking at you. If you were alone in your dorm room eating eggs, you would be perfectly content and comfortable.
Why do most of us have this fear of being alone in public spaces? Well, this one I’m going to attribute to the human psyche. The proper psychological term for this worry is adolescent egocentrism. What’s that, you may ask? Well, it’s the belief that everyone is watching and/or focused on you. It similarly explains why you made your mom walk five paces behind you when she took you and your friends shopping at the mall in the 6th grade. Now, I know most of us may not be adolescents anymore, but I think we all still suffer a little bit from a case of adolescent egocentrism when we’re in the Dining Center.
However, don’t let this stress you even more. There are ways to combat this problem, and I’ve witnessed a lot of them. There’s the “I’m over it. I’m sitting by myself because I’m really cool,” approach which is generally displayed by upperclassmen boys. Then there’s the “I’m just too busy with schoolwork to socialize” approach where the person sits in a corner and pretends to read their philosophy book. And, finally there’s the classic “just texting or playing some scramble with friends on my iPhone” approach, which is probably the most commonly used and trusted method. This one is the best because it displays to the other people (that you think are watching you) that you do, indeed, have friends. They are just somewhere else at the moment.
3)People possess a great fear of the unknown.
This is a fact that is observable in many facets of life. It explains why people are afraid of the dark or why they are so resistant to drinking strawberry milk. I think that it also explains why many people don’t eat on the left side of the DC. I know I try to avoid eating over there. But, if asked why, I honestly couldn’t tell you exactly. The left side is in reality pretty much like the right side. Sure, they set the tables up in socially awkward formations on the left side, but besides that, the two sides are pretty much identical.. I know people eat over there, because I can see bodies through the glass, but I don’t know WHO they are. Really, I think that I don’t eat on that side because it scares me a little. It’s unknown.
Disclaimers: For any DC staff that reads this, the DC food is really not bad. Taco Day is awesome and I really like the vegan chicken nuggets! Also, I swear I’m not a creep who sits in the cafeteria and stares at people. And, finally, I don’t mean to offend people who sit on the left side. High fives all around to you brave pioneers.