When students envision their life at university, they’re usually anticipating movie nights with friends, late-night study sessions, and fun nights out. One aspect of campus life that students dread, quite frankly, is the infamous dining hall food. The food at dining halls across Ontario has been ranked, with the University of Guelph consistently ranking first for the best dining hall food (that we are dreadfully reminded of every time we open our phones). Alas, I cannot say the same about the reputation of the food here at Wilfrid Laurier University, where students avoid the dining hall like the plague.
The Pros
The most obvious pro of the dining hall is the proximity and convenience. The dining hall is students’ go-to spot when they need a quick bite before class, or when they can barely roll out of bed on a Sunday morning. University students have enough on their plate without spending the small amount of spending money they have on alternate food sources. Furthermore, the food selection has gotten (very slightly) better since the Christmas break. Gone are the weird grilled cheeses with potato chips inside, or the buffalo sauce mac and cheese. Another pro is the amazing staff members, who are so kind. They always make an effort to engage in small talk, by asking how your midterms went or how your weekend was. Finally, the pasta bar is our diamond in the rough. Not only does it taste great, but it’s actually hot, comforting, and customizable.
The Cons
Now, for the not-so-pros- let’s go back to the pasta bar. While absolutely delicious, unfortunately, everyone else has come to this realization as well, so the line is atrocious. It has become a daily dilemma, whether to sacrifice a quick and efficient meal and get the pasta or to get something quick but not so tasty. I want to make it clear, the food quality is absolutely not the fault of the staff members, but of the Fresh Food Company. But it is not great. I’m continually glad to be vegetarian since I have both seen and heard stories of people getting sick from undercooked meat. The dining hall is severely understaffed, so the few staff members per serving station must work nonstop to prepare enough food for the students waiting, leading to potential rushed food and instances such as the undercooked meat, or hairs in food. This has been the inspiration for numerous GoFundMe pages that have been circulating around, begging the school to fix this problem. The only food items that students can consistently count on are the carb-filled pasta, various potato variations and the ever-present greasy pizza. Personally, it makes me feel gross all the time…but not gross enough to convince me to try the flavourless salad or dry lentil dishes.
Ultimately, the dining hall is both a wonderful thing and a terrible one, providing students with two experiences. The first is the curse of the Freshman Fifteen and the second is a bonding moment for students with their friends that will serve as the foundation for inside jokes that will follow them for the three years to come.