Ten weeks into college and I already have a reputation. Who am I, you may ask? Why, I’m that girl — the one who’s always parked at a picnic table outside O’Hill studying, socializing or just sitting.
Some people give the dining halls a hard time, while others venture into serious debates about which is their personal favorite. As for me, I’m a tried-and-true fan of the infamous O’Hill. So diehard, in fact, that I recently engaged in an hours-long back-and-forth with good friends about the countless comedic, pun-tastic nicknames we could give to our neighborhood dining hall across various circumstances.
I can easily understand how some people get so tired of dining hall dishes they don’t even want to taco ‘bout it (or tell food puns). Still, as a self-proclaimed eternal optimist, I prefer to always look on the bright side of life — cue the background music from “Monty Python's Life of Brian” — so when I see something that doesn’t sit well with me, what do I do? I try my darndest to make it a little bit better.
Thus, my compilation of “O’Hill hacks” follows.
MAKE NEW FRIENDS, BUT KEEP THE OLD — You may come to a dining hall and end up eating with old pals, but why not meet some new ones along the way? I’m a people person, so maybe the shy among us will shirk this suggestion — but I’d venture to say that knowing at least a handful of the dining hall team members by name makes the whole excursion worthwhile.
It’s my mission to have a genuine conversation with would-be strangers as often as possible. Just yesterday, I was talking to Richard at O’Hill’s sandwich station and confided in him that I had — gasp! — skipped my philosophy class. We shared a good laugh over my seemingly-flawed reasoning: had I really just cut class to get a sandwich?
WRITE YOUR OWN COOKBOOK — In wandering around Grounds, I’ve heard a fair amount of mumbles about dining hall food. “It’s fine, but after a while, it’s all just the same,” is a direct quote from a friend of mine, whose name will remain undisclosed in an attempt to protect her reputation should she ever run for Kitchen Council or some other food-related political position.
To her I say: when the going gets tough, don’t get going… get creative. Do it right and eating at the dining halls becomes a five-star experience. Sick of the same old eggs and bacon for breakfast? Toast a bagel, slap the usual eggs-and-bacon combination in between those two toasty halves, and you’ve got yourself an egg-wich which may as well be from Bodo’s! Admittedly a stretch, but I’m an “eternal optimist,” remember?
BE SELF-SUFFICIENT — Since coming to college, there’s one thing I’ve come to love: soup. I ran into a problem a while back, however. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve yet to find any to-go bowls on Grounds.
Ah, me! How was I ever to bring my sought-after soup with me on the move? This was an issue until I found the simplest of solutions: to-go cups, which serve as perfect replacements for bowls. And, perhaps even more perfectly, spoons fit right into top of the to-go lids.
FIND LOVE — To quote another friend of mine, “O’Hill is the perfect place to meet people. Sometimes I just spend the whole day there, striking up all sorts of conversations.”
I’ve been known to give this friend a hard time for how often he’s had breakfast/lunch/dinner dates at O’Hill, but admittedly, he’s got a point. What better place to meet a future date than the omelet line? What better time to strike up an innocent conversation with a total stranger than while waiting at Cooper Hood? How else does one scope out next semi-formal dates than while sneaking glances while sitting alone at the ironically named “Collaboration Station?”
STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES — Yes, O’Hill may get a little, erm, stale after a while. But there are ways to make the most of the situation at hand. If it’s the lack of feng shui in the college cafeteria that’s really harshing your mellow, snag a to-go box (or cup, if soup is in the cards), and go transcendental — eat outside. Goodbye O’Hill, hello Thoreau-Hill.
Mary’s column runs biweekly Thursdays. She can be reached at m.long@cavalierdaily.com.
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