As a student who lives in the dormitories this year, I am always looking forward to the special events held by the dining halls. All the dining halls multiple times a month hold special events surrounding a specific theme. For example, yesterday the dining halls hosted a Japanese steakhouse premium night. Originally I didn’t think there would be many options especially when I have shifted to a pescetarian diet. Upon arrival however, there were a ton of options that fit not only my but many other dietary restrictions and needs. There were vegetable spring rolls, vegetable fried rice, tofu shish kabobs, and an array of different vegetable options. On the other hand, there were plenty of meat options as well. There was steak, chicken potstickers, and shrimp fried rice. When speaking to students who also live in the residence halls the responses were all similar. “I have the premium nights marked on my calendar,” “They really help me eat something new rather than the same thing every day” and “the food is always so good during the events.” Overall, there was an overwhelming amount of positive feedback when having conversations about the residence hall’s premium nights.
Each month there is a calendar posted somewhere in each dining hall to make the students aware of each event. The events vary from DIY herbal tea to “feel-good foods.” In January there are 10 hosted events including DIY Mediterranean bowl, Japanese steakhouse, oat energy bites, perfect pairings, DIY herbal tea, student choice, feel good foods, and winter blues + BBQ. Each event is held at a different dining hall to allow all students to have a chance to experience the premium nights. Some of the events are even hands-on. For example, at Bailey dining hall on the 23rd of January, there was a “teaching kitchen” event where students could go to Bailey hall and learn how to make these oat energy bites from an instructor. It can provide students with a break from their everyday lives at school and give them a chance to provide themselves with a fun activity.
Another event that was hosted was a Disney night last semester. This one stuck out to me because I have always loved Disney and my sister and I over the summer would recreate many Disney recipes. Coming into the dining hall there were decorations all over the dining hall of different and familiar Disney characters to accompany the food. Each station was decorated with a different movie. The pasta station became pasta from the movie Lady and the Tramp and the chocolate fountain from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The chocolate fountain had marshmallows, strawberries, bananas, and doughnut holes to put onto a stick to stick into the fountain. This was by far my favorite dining hall event. The guy hosting the chocolate fountain was even dressed up. The dining hall puts in effort to make these nights special for the workers and the students eating at the dining halls. Each night allows for students to bond with each other over new foods that students may not have tried before and be able to take a break from the normal dining hall food.
These events allow students to have a distraction from the rigorous school schedule we all experience as college students to take a break and have fun exploring the new options of the dining halls. Each night is unique in its own way, allows for a variety to fit all students’ dietary needs and restrictions, and allows all students to branch outside their everyday plate and try new foods and bond with those around them about these foods and create new memories and friendships. The dining halls have created an environment for students to relax and have fun multiple days each month and can help the mental health of the students.
