As students who are new to the college scene we are experiencing our own “Eat, Pray, Love.”
Except, instead of traveling to the French countryside or strolling through the streets of Florence, dining in cafes and five-star restaurants, we are navigating our way through Locke’s Loft, the Kelly Commons or local, off-campus delis and pizza places for our food awakening.
Suddenly we regret taking all of those home-cooked meals for granted.
So, as freshmen still trying to discover the ins and outs of college dining, we want to know: where are you eating, how are you eating and what are you eating?
“I mostly eat at Locke’s since I have unlimited swipes and it’s more convenient than going off campus,” freshman Tori FitzPatrick said. “I do wish there were more dining options because I find myself eating the same basic meals every day.”
When FitzPatrick does go off campus she finds herself at Riverdale Diner for their “killer waffles” that are both delicious and inexpensive, two words that are music to a college student’s ears.
It seems like most of us are sticking around campus for meals. Chris Orlando, a newcomer to the Manhattan College track team, eats at Locke’s four times a day, everyday.
“I always eat on campus,” he said. “I’m eating as healthy as I can. I eat a lot of cereal and a lot of chicken, two things that are always there no matter what time of the day I walk in.”
Orlando also likes the other options we have on campus.
“Even though I go to Locke’s most often, Starbucks and the other food stations available in the commons seem great,” he added. As far as off-campus dining goes, Orlando prefers Jasper Deli and Broadway Joe’s, but only goes to them on the weekends.
For a lot of us, the infamous “freshman 15” legend has crept its way into our thoughts and has affected our way of eating at school.
“The freshman 15 terrifies me,” FitzPatrick said. “I’ve had some weight struggles in my life so I have to make sure I eat and not eat too much. I downloaded an app called ‘Lose It’ to help me track my calories and exercise. I think it’s really helpful.”
Tim Hamling, another freshman at MC, is not so much worried about gaining weight as he is about eating healthy.
“It’s much easier to find and eat the fattier options in Locke’s than it is to eat healthy,” he said.
Hamling, like FitzPatrick, is also concerned with the amount of options the school provides.
“Sometimes it’s always the same stuff,” he said. “I walk into Locke’s for lunch and go back for dinner and they are serving the same food.”
Other freshmen agree and wish that for the amount of money they are paying for these services—according to manhattancollegedining.com, new residents spend $13,740 for food and housing each year—that the school would put in a “little more effort,” Hamling said.
As for now, it seems like we will have to stick to Locke’s or Broadway Joe’s for our daily cuisine. You know what they say, when at Manhattan College eat like the Jaspers do.