Campus Conversations

FOOD!

April 19, 2011

I know that when I was looking at colleges, food was a very important aspect to consider.  First off: Occidental has great food. There’s always a smorgasbord of options.  The main dining hall is called the Marketplace.  It’s open from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM every day.  You can rely on an organic salad bar, a sandwich making station, a home-style meal, delicious muffins, Naked Juice, ice cream bars, fresh fruit, and other great options every single day.  Throughout the week on alternating days, there’s a make-your-own-pasta station, a waffle-making station, an omelet bar, a stir-fry station, and a taco bar.  There are vegetarian, vegan, and nondairy items every day as well.  I love the Marketplace and have eaten MANY meals there. Haha just kidding! You have to go off campus to get In-N-Out. But there is one about a 5-minute drive away! On weeknights, the Cooler is open until 11:30 PM, but on Friday and Saturday night it’s open until 2:00 AM.  The Cooler is another great dining option.  This is where you get your hamburgers, pizza, and other greasy stuff.  People love to congregate at the Cooler after parties on the weekend, or maybe just for a late night snack.  It’s such a fun place! The Green Bean is a recent addition to Oxy.  It's a student-run coffee shop.  There are many delicious drink options to choose from, as well as yummy baked goods.  A lot of events are put on in the Green Bean.  When I took these pictures, an Open Mic for Gender and Sexuality had just finished. One of my favorite places to get food is called the Coffee Cart.  It’s located in the courtyard of the Rangeview dorm.  It’s on the opposite side of campus from the Cooler, Marketplace, and Green Bean.  Students, like me, who live on upper campus don’t have to walk all the way down to get food late night!  The Coffee Cart is open from 7:30 PM to 1:00 AM every weeknight.  It has drinks and snacks for late night hunger.  What makes the Coffee Cart even better is that it has food from Auntie Em’s.  Auntie Em’s is a restaurant a couple blocks from campus that makes delicious sandwiches, dinners, and baked goods.  This means that students are able to buy the tasty Auntie Em’s food with their meal plan money! It’s a great set up. But what if it’s 4 in the morning and you’re pulling an all nighter at the library writing a research paper or finishing a lab report?? Lucky for you, there are always well-stocked vending machines directly outside the library.  I have eaten so many bags of pretzels from that vending machine.  It is a constant source of nutrients for many busy and stressed out college students.  These vending machines also run on meal plan money! So just swipe your card and receive sustenance.