Recently, Creighton’s dining services had students complete a survey about their services. It’s about time.
As someone who has had a meal plan for three and a half years, I I’d like to make my own suggestions for university dining services that can enhance the dining experience of future Creighton students.
1. Davis Diner doesn’t have to be a guilty pleasure like ABBA and Nicholas Sparks novels (I swear I don’t read them). Don’t get me wrong. I’m a fan of that place and probably go there more than I should. Most students feel extremely guilty when they order a cookies-and-cream milkshake from that place. There should be some healthier items there to help pacify our consciences after clogging our arteries with raspberry cream cheese-stuffed French toast.
2. This may be a stretch, but it would be cool if the dining halls resurrected those awesome cereals from our childhood you just can’t find anymore. Anyone remember Count Chocula?
3. Brandeis needs better logistical planning. On lasagna night, they’ll be out within an hour and offer day-old chicken instead. On Sunday nights, when apparently everyone within a 15-mile radius of Creighton craves Brandeis, finding a fork is like looking for music that isn’t terrible at a Creed concert.
4. “Late night” shouldn’t be that late. After 8 p.m., meal exchange starts again at 10:30. Eating this late causes heartburn, indigestion and nightmares and slows your metabolism. This will only make the freshman 15 even more depressing for first-years.
5. On that note, it would be great if meal exchange were offered all day long. After all, sometimes it’s easier to do meal exchange than to spend more dining dollars.
6. Be kinder to vegetarians. I’m a carnivore and pity vegetarians because they have to miss out on Swedish meatballs and spaghetti carbonara. But the vegetarian section of Brandeis usually offers the least appealing options. The stuffed peppers over there don’t look the least bit appetizing.
7. Spice things up. This semester, Brandeis invited a chef from Puerto Rico who made excellent Caribbean cuisine and had a Mardi Gras party, complete with cotton candy and Cajun cooking. The lines rivaled those of 13-year-old girls trying to get autographs at a Jonas Brothers concert. Do things like this more often, not just once or twice each semester. I realize that they’re expensive to sponsor, but they unquestionably bring more students, which brings more revenue.
8. Don’t end “hot breakfast” so early. Every morning at 9:15, Brandeis employees quickly hide everything in the cafeteria save for “continental breakfast” items (read: cold cereal and coffee). Some of us are lazy and tired and want to sleep in when we don’t have class in the morning. It would be nice if we could sleep in and have our Cream of Wheat as well.
9. Extend meal exchange to Irma’s Bistro. Without any hesitation I must admit that Irma’s is the best place to dine on campus. Their lobster bisque soup is delicious. Unfortunately, however, it is sparsely populated, probably in no small part because it’s only open for lunch when Creighton doesn’t do meal exchange.
12. Brandeis should offer more healthy options. Recently they had a “no fried foods” week, but it was pretty disappointing. That week, there were much fewer options than usual. A special week devoted to healthier dining options should offer much more variety.
13. I know absolutely nothing about coeliac disease. But a gluten-free diet has been linked to weight loss, so good job on adding gluten-free products to Jack and Ed’s .
14. Make those monster-sized chocolate chip cookies at Jack and Ed’s more frequently. They’re pretty damn good and they disappear quickly, but they appear to come only once every two years.