Chris Cole sat on the Newcomb Dining Hall balcony, swatting away a swarm of bees as he ate his lunch.
Although Cole, a second-year College student, dined with his friend, Martin Radzio, he said always having an eating buddy isn't necessary.
"I like to see what the girl situation is. Sometimes I'll sit by myself, because there's always the sympathy factor" for guys sitting alone, Cole said.
As students adjust to the new school year, they slowly slip into a daily juggling act involving getting out of bed, attending classes and extracurricular activities and doing homework. To top it all off, students still have to fit meal times into their routines, which leads them to one haunting question: Who am I going to eat with?
Eating in a dining hall is a new and somewhat stressful experience for college students. No longer do students enjoy the pleasures of sitting down with their families to eat a home-cooked meal. Instead they must search around for a fellow hungry student willing to brave long lines and other hassles involved with eating at a dining hall.
Then the worst happens.
Everybody is in class. The hall or suite is deserted. The gnawing hunger and speedily approaching class time make students ask themselves the unthinkable: Will I have to eat lunch by myself?
Students actually eat by themselves quite frequently. A quick glance around any of the dining halls shows people studying, reading the newspaper or just enjoying their meals solo.
"A lot of people eat alone. I like eating alone myself. Here in Newcomb I sit at an empty table. It gives me time to think," University Dining Hall server Joseph Roberts said.
Breakfast is the meal most people eat alone. With so many students having different schedules, finding friends to eat breakfast with can be difficult. But others enjoy tranquil alone time at the start of their day. However, most early birds are seen by themselves, hurriedly finishing off their food in order to get to class on time.
"I like eating by myself in the mornings. It's the time in the day that I have to collect myself," first-year College student Erika Chiang said.
Other students are completely against going solo to meals. For them, the whole safety-in-numbers principle is a big factor.
"I'd feel stupid sitting alone," first-year College student Garry Seward said. "I did the first week I was here, and I didn't like it."
Yet others don't care whether they go accompanied to meals.
An alternative to eating alone in the dining hall does exist. The main solution is getting take-out food and eating at your dorm or apartment.
You'll still be eating by yourself, but at least you'll be doing it in the privacy and convenience of your own place.
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