It’s time to settle one of Davidson’s hottest debates: Commons or Union Café? These options don’t provide the only dining venues on campus (many athletes frequent the Wildcat Den, and there’s still time to visit Union Station before it closes next year), but they are the most prominent. Yet everyone evaluates the venues differently, with some preferring one and some the other. Overall, the Union’s Davis Café seems to have won in the past, as Davidson administration barred freshmen from using meal swipes there in an attempt to curb crowding.
Some of the café’s appeal stems from its atmosphere. Besides checking a box on a paper, this option requires no effort, which leaves time for studying, meeting, or the thousand other commitments Davidson students have. The Union provides an ideal space to grab lunch as a break from working. Too, it houses other assets. I’ve checked my mail many a time while waiting for my order from the café, and the Career Development Center, a gym, and several additional resources exist in the building. The Union presents an ideal forum for meetings: centrally-located, you can have a casual conversation on the first couple floors or a more serious discussion on the foreboding third floor.
These factors contribute to the Café’s popularity, but its rival of Vail Commons possesses different strengths. Commons, unlike Union, allows an individual to retrieve as much food as they desire per meal swipe. No more worrying about whether you’ve made it under the $8.70 line, and you can go back for seconds and so on. With regards to food itself, Commons stands supreme. Some people disagree with me about this matter (shout out to my roommate!), but I can’t understand why. Davis Café serves the same meals repeatedly, the only variation occurring in its sometimes available international menu. This food is for the most part good, especially when you’ve had a bad day and need a burger, but Commons keeps things exciting by changing their menu daily. Besides, Commons also maintains enough regular offerings, including the salad bar and the pizza counter, as alternatives or supplements to the entrée.
So, Union has a better atmosphere and location, but Commons provides a wider variety of options and flexibility. The overall merit ascribed to each institution varies among diners, as priorities differ between people. Yet as the food scene on campus changes, with additions like the Lula Bell Food Pantry and subtractions like the Union Station, so do the related needs and interests of our community. Thus the venues must continue to self-update in tune with the context surrounding them; that which accomplishes this goal most effectively will ultimately prove the best dining option at Davidson.