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The Michigan Daily Weeker
46 - The Michigan Daily Weekend Magazine - Thursday, March 19, 1998
IIM, I<IIVI IIfi-I NMIIj ---
Different cafeteria offerings add a
dash of flavor to 'U' student life
By Gina Rasmussen
For the Daily
Starting college in the fall was an
ov erwhelming experience for some and
a no-brainer for others. All incoming
students expected some changes, and
giving up mom's home-cooked meals
may have been the biggest one - it
forced them to encounter the flavor of
dorm cafeteria dining.
Ten cafeterias serve breakfast, lunch
and dinner to students who live in resi-
dence halls. The average student pays
for 13 meals per week, each semester,
with lunch and dinner being the most
popular ones to attend.
The dining halls present a variety of
descriptions. A survey of students
revealed that out of all the food served,
students most enjoyed cereal, soups and
real mashed potatoes. Mexican nights,
which include cheese enchiladas, tacos,
fajitas and nachos, were also a favorite.
Other popular entrees included chicken
patties, chicken nuggets, pizza, burgers,
and the infamous salad and dessert bars.
The majority of surveyed students
had eaten at other cafeterias than their
own, generally at Markley, East Quad
or West Quad. Brian Tramble, a first-
year Engineering student, said he
prefers Markley because he feels that
"the food is decent" and that, unlike in
most of the other cafeterias, he can
serve himself hot dishes.
The most preferred cafeterias were
Markley, . Bursley and Stockwell.
Students said they felt that Markley
offered the largest variety of items and
had especially good salad bar selections.
Bursley, one of the biggest dorms on
campus, was a top choice because of
both its variety of food and its open,
spacious atmosphere. The disadvan-
tage: Its North Campus location.
Stockwell was praised for its quaint and
cozy dining area, which seems more
homey than most other cafeterias.
"I like Markley the best out of the
dorms on Central and Hill campuses,
although I heard Bursley is actually the
best dorm to eat in," said LSA sopho-
more Martin Smith. "The worst would
have to be Betsey Barbour, because
they hardly serve anything at all."
But some prefer the Victorian setting
of Betsey Barbour's dining hall. With
chandeliers and framed paintings, flow-
ered wallpaper and carpet, this small
cafeteria is conservative and charming.
Men and women often eat together at
the dinner tables and booths in this
women's dorm, which has peace and
quiet, unlike many other campus cafete-
rias. LSA first-year student Anne Chatel
said she also likes Betsey Barbour's var-
ied selection of frozen yogurt.
It's not uncommon for students to
become attached to a certain dining
hall. Many people notice cafeterias'
atmospheres; their cleanliness and
friendliness bring people back to cer-
tain halls. Some students, for example,
are drawn to West Quad, where diners
can watch television or listen to music
while eating.
"I go there for the scenery and because
of its convenience" said Marissa Kuhn,
an LSA first-year student.
South Quad, which houses 1318 stu-
dents, has two of everything. Here,
there are two lines, as well as salad bars,
sandwich bars and dessert bars that
each have a variety of toppings.
As might be expected, each dorm has
its pros and cons. Markley chef Martin
Folk said he finds it hard to satisfy
everyone's wants and needs.
"It's hard to please everyone all the
time. We do try very hard but it is very
difficult,"he said.
Students have no shortage of sugges-
tions for improvement. Tramble said he
would like to see different soft drinks
offered each month. LSA first-year stu-
dent Jasmine Beale suggested having
"better food and a dessert selection,
mluding more danishes at breakfast."
Tracey Heck, also a LSA first-year stu-
dent, added, "They should have Greek
salads out as a choice for every meal."
Patty Seely, a first-year Engineering
student, said there should be more of a
vegetarian selection. "All of the dishes
are the same - pasta, pasta, pasta," she
complained.
Others agree that meal choices are
too bland and repetitive.
"Who eats fried smelt anyway?"
asked Chatel.
Folk said that individual dorms plan
their own meals, because the cafeterias'
different clienteles have their own pref-
erences. At Markley, Folk said that the
management relies on the fall and
spring surveys filled out by the students.
Although they might not seem very
important, "these surveys are actually
taken very seriously," Folk said.
A student committee and a group of
supervisors also meet to discuss menu
selections in the various dorms.
But food wasn't the only concern at
dorm cafeterias. Some students felt that
dinner should be served for a longer
period of time, which would be more
convenient for students with busy
schedules. Cafeterias currently have
different dinner times.
SERVING
Continued from Page 2B
"You have to be really organized
and sometimes you have to deal with
drunk and belligerent UM students,"
Pepe said. "When you are running
around, the last thing you want is
someone yelling at you."
So it's not the easiest way to make
money. But that wad of bills in hand
at the end of each and every night
can make it all worthwhile. Of
course, that depends on tips. Because
a majority of patrons at local restau-
rants are students, the tipping habits
of these individuals, who often find
themselves in rough financial situa-
tions, are often less than generous.
Students seem to tip differently
depending on where they are dining.
Murro said that at Seva, students are
either at the very top or very bottom
of the tipping continuum. She also
said that men tend to tip better than
able if you believe your server did a
good job. Rachel Pepe said tips vary
widely among students, but has some
gripes about those that fall on the
lower end of the spectrum.
"I don't blame students if they
can't tip a lot since a lot of students
are on limited budgets, although I
think that they should keep that in
mind when they are ordering their
eighth pitcher of beer," Pepe said.
As would be expected, Thursday
through Sunday shifts are the most
requested, and the managers of local
restaurants seem to be generally
accommodating to these needs.
Murro said that at Seva, student
workers are able to pick their shifts
at the beginning of the term and stick
with them through the season.
Pepe conceded that management
recognizes students' needs. "I only
work three nights a week," she said,
"although some kids work five or six
days a week. If you need off for
ADRIANA YUGOVICH/Daily
Eating at cafeterias is an unavoidable part of the first-year experience.
Susan Chehade, an LSA first-year
student, said "they should really extend
the hours because not everyone has
flexible schedules."
Another problem is that not all cafe-
terias provide meals every day. Markley
and Stockwell are the only dorms on the
Hill that serve on weekends, as Bursley
and South Quad do for North and
Central Campus, respectively.
Cafeteria cleanliness may concern
some students, but all those surveyed
agreed that in general, the cafeterias
were above average in cleanliness. The
majority considered Markley the clean-
est with Bursley a close second. Students
also thought that in general, workers
were very friendly and always helpful.
One student pointed out that Alice
Lloyd had the best environmentally
friendly policies and rarely used paper
or plastic products. All cafeterias, in
fact, are environmentally conscious and
recycle cardboard and paper products
regularly. Folk said that recently, dorms
have begun recycling all vegetable and
food scraps into a compost that works
back into the University grounds.
"Markley, South Quad, West Quad
and Bursley are a part of a pilot pro-
gram which was given a grant to come
together in an effort between city and
housing to eliminate waste," Folk said.
Many students may be curious as to
where the food comes from. Folk
explained that the University as a whole
orders from different companies and
sets up specifications and contracts.
Bidding and prices also determine
where the University will purchase
items. While food is bought in bulk, the
University always buys high-quality,
name-brand products.
Though individuals may have cafete-
ria likes and dislikes, there's no escaping
dorm food - it is an inevitable part of
every first-year student's experience.
But as LSA first-year student Lauren
Shirey said, "It's not as bad as I origi-
nally expected.'
READ THE DAILY.
RECYCLE THE DAILY.
DAILY.
women.
" A n n
Arborites are
excellent tip-
pers," Ellis
"Surprisingly
enough, I
believe that
the best tip-
pers are usu-
ally the stu-
dents them-
selves."
"When you are running
around, the last thing
you want is someone
yelling at you."
-Rachel Pepe
LSA senior and part-time waitress
exams or
whatever,
you can get
work off as
long assyou
give some
notice."
Ellis said
the manage-
ment of the
Lamplighter
is also help-
ful. "Every
For students, waiting tables is a reliable, if difficult, way to make mon
conflicts are hardly ever a conflict,"
he said.
But just because managers are
surprisingly sympathetic to the hec-
tic daytime schedules of students
doesn't mean that they are happy
about it. Rick Buhr, the manager of
Good Time Charley's, lists "lack of
experience, the fact that students
leave for summers, the need for time
off for exams, studying, spring break
and social events," as
problems with hiring stL
Still, these problems
management from hiri
Rick said that 93 percen
staff are undergraduate si
University. He said studen
able to relate better to mc
tomers, not to mention t
work really late hours.
Those who are looki
In the waiting business, 15 per-
cent is considered to be the mini-
mum, and 20 percent is more accept-
employee is treated very well. I feel
that as a student, the owner of the
restaurant has accommodated every
need I have ever had and scheduling
FARAH
Continued from Page 6B
strong. Our energetic constitutions
can handle it. But imagine if the
menace attacked the elderly, the
children, the innocent. Oh, the hor-
rors.
But you know, as unappetizing
as the dorm food was, that wasn't
really why I stopped liking to eat.
After all, we are young. Dorm
food may not be Gratzi - it may
not even be the Fleetwood Diner
- but it is edible. Losing all
desire to eat and enjoy food is a
little extreme. OK, so it's very
extreme.
And then, one weekend when I
went home - I mean home-home
- I realized what it was. As usual,
my mother, being the kind mother
she is, made me beef stroganoff
for lunch, a service she provided
as a treat for being home. I ate it
with relish. And no, not the stuff
you put on hot dogs - I mean I
enjoyed every last bite of it. My
lips were smackin', I was gulping
down my drink and belching with
fervor. After I was done, I patted
my full belly with satisfaction, and
sat back to watch TV.
Later, I ventured into our
kitchen. To my surprise, I saw, not
a messy countertop strewn with
raw ingredients, but an empty box.
I looked at the label apprehensive-
ly, and saw one word staring back
at me. Stouffer's.
It was a microwave dinner that
she'd put on a plate. No special
ingredients. No old family recipe.
A microwave dinner. How could I
have been so elated about eating a
meal that couldn't possibly have
been much different than anything
I had in the dorm?
And then, from high above,
peeking through the clouds, the
light of the food-god shined on me
(he looks something like a fat man
wearing a diaper and holding a
chicken wing in one hand, in case
you're wondering).
It hit me. Food is love.
I know this sounds far-fetched,
but you've got to believe me. Food
doesn't represent love in some kind
of symbolic or abstract fashion.
Plain and simple, food is love.
Upon telling one of my friends
my theory, he made the interesting
observation that, if food is love,
cooking for yourself is masturba-
tion. A banquet is an orgy. A fami-
ly dinner is incest.
Close, but not quite. Food isn't
sex, it's love.
Somehow, in all those complex
carbohydrates, sugars, proteins
and fatty acids, love weaves its
way into food - but only when
food is given or made with love.
Hence the real problem with
cafeteria food. It's made en masse
by people who have good inten-
tions, but who could really care
less who ends up eating what
they're making. Dorm food is
plentiful, and every now and then
it's even tasty. But it's generic. It's
loveless.
I couldn't eat at school because
I wasn't feeling love for others,
and I was too depressed to love
myself enough to make up for it.
On the other hand, food from
others - people who care about
you - no matter what kind of food
it is, or even how good it tastes,
carries love with it. And nothing
carries love better. You could give
someone a card, some flowers,
some cologne or an expensive tie,
and it would never match up to a
hot dinner after a hard day.
I've never been much of a cook.
I've managed to adjust and even
attain some happiness since the
debacle of my freshman year, but I
still hate cooking for myself, even
now that I live in an apartment. But
I love cooking for others, and I
love having others cook for me. Be
it French toast, chicken, or even
something as nasty as broccoli or
asparagus.
It doesn't matter what it is.
Microwave dinner or cafeteria food
or a $30 meal at the Gandy Dancer.
As long as it's given and received
with love.
OK, so maybe it matters a little.
- If you want to give some lovin'
food to Chris Farah, e-mail him at
cjfarah@umich.edu.
CUISINE
Continued from Page 138
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