The Dining Hall fails to nourish student-athletes
Finally, something we’ve all been waiting for: someone to speak out amongst the student body about the Caf, and I am honored to do so. As students, we get asked the big questions on what we think about the Caf. Is it to our liking? Or could it be better? We tend to shy away from our desired opinions and end up giving the friendly and polite answers such as, “It’s okay” and “It has its good days,” but my opinion is different.
Overall, the Caf is terrible. Throughout my week of classes, I notice that I eat downstairs at the Grill or scramble up some money to go grab something to eat off-campus more than I go to the Caf to enjoy food with other students. Rating the Caf from one to 10, I would rate it with a generous three out of 10.
Compared to other universities and colleges that I’ve been to or heard about from friends, the respective “Caf” of their campus is usually dreadful for all students, but not because they don’t serve good food; they serve food that usually makes up a college student’s diet. The cafeteria has a decent sandwich and salad bar, but that is something that you cannot mess up in a buffet-oriented food stop. Guilford does a great job when it comes to having options and variety for vegans.
Ultimately what we complain most about is the quality of the food and if it’s giving us the full nutrients, we need to replenish our bodies from long academic hours and athletic activities.
In the morning time when breakfast is being served, I can honestly say the best thing I look forward to in the Caf is the omelets. I believe Tay makes the best omelet at the gourmet station. He gives you just enough of each ingredient requested upon your choice with just the right amount of cooking time. Tay cooks the perfect omelet for me in the morning.
Guilford is a highly competitive school in sports. In Division III, athletes are recruited and required to work very hard not only in their training, but in the classroom too, and insufficient and improper nutrients will not help students sustain these standards.
Being a student athlete myself, I can attest to the challenges of eating well at the Caf while handling a hefty academic schedule
“It’s simply terrible,” said senior and basketball captain Marcus Curry. “I’ve been here for three total years and I rarely eat the Caf, and if I do, I don’t eat all my food and will still be hungry.”
There is so much negativity that revolves around the Caf that should be addressed properly.
As it is students’ main diet plan on campus, students should feel comfortable and confident that they can walk into the Caf and be able to find food that will satisfy their hunger and give them the proper nutrients to carry out their day.
Sarah • Mar 18, 2019 at 7:55 pm
As an alum, I can remember days when the food actually made students sick. What the college is trying to do now aligns with the core values and there are ways to make it work. If you are going to write an editorial about how bad the food is then you need to do a better job of describing your issues. As a student it is also your responsibility to seek out the change you wish to see.
My class worked hard to create a change in our provider, if you are truly unhappy then seek out the change you wish to see. It us 3 years to get change, it may be time consuming and it’s possible.