*Cover photo courtesy of Erin Pachter Photography
Women of Muhlenberg, have you ever wanted to use a tray in the dining hall? When you went to grab one, were you told not to? I was told that only football players can use those because they “eat the most.” In all honesty, when I spend time at the dining hall I go up to get food 3 times. I’m not going to limit myself to one plate if I’m choosing to eat food that is good for my body and mind, especially given the plentiful options that Muhlenberg provides us with. Choosing to fuel yourself with food that makes you feel good is so important, especially in college. We are all under extreme amounts of stress, and we need to supply our bodies with the nutrients they need. Don’t limit yourself. Do what makes YOU feel good.
Our society enforces the norm that guys eat more than girls simply because they are bigger in size. This is both true and false. A football player may be bigger than me, but my appetite may be much bigger than his. Why are we succumbing to the idea that a girl can’t eat more than a guy? I can eat whatever I want, and the amount in which I eat and the tray that I carry certainly should not worry anyone.
*Erin Pachter Photography
This issue only enforces more norms at our school. People that I’ve talked to about this topic want to be able to eat what they want, but they are afraid of being shamed for the amount they eat. If your body needs it, eat it. I talked to a few guys and girls about their opinions on this subject and I was surprised, but also satisfied by the results I found.
When I asked guys if they noticed if there was a certain group of people that uses trays, they seemed pretty oblivious. This is probably because they are not the ones experiencing the negatives of this situation. Us girls constantly worry about this because of this terrible stereotype. Society has brainwashed us to do what others want, and not what we need. I myself am guilty of this. One of the responses I got when I asked if they ever noticed that girls don’t use trays was “I don’t look at girls’ food. I look at girls”. Again, this shows how truly oblivious men are because they are not victims of the judgment and stereotype. Based on my interviews, for an average meal, a male uses around 2-3 plates and 2 drinks, which a tray is a necessity for. My meal consists of almost the same amount of plates and drinks, but it is frowned upon that I use a tray simply because I am a girl.
Even though girls are normally smaller due to the simple fact of biology, I feel as if, on any given day, my friends and I are perfectly capable of eating just as much as any guy. We’re all hungry, not just big dudes. One guy that I interviewed said “I would be impressed if a girl used a tray, but some of my teammates would definitely judge.” Here you have it: just because biology makes us generally smaller, society tells us to consume less and not to take in the nutrients that we need to be healthy. Guess what? We don’t have to listen! Take up space, eat what you want, and use a damn tray.