Dining Halls are a vital part of every college campus and here at the College of Charleston, in a city where food is almost idolized, there exists a certain standard that has to be reached. Lately, I've heard, whether it be on the street or in class, lots of students here at the college don't believe that the dining halls are up to par. However, on the other hand I've heard just as much talk about the impressiveness of what is served here at CofC. So, if the consensus is split are CofC dining halls good or bad?
The answer lies not in comparison to other dining establishments here in The Holy City but rather in comparison to dining halls of other colleges and universities. After all the dining halls we all eat from are just that, dining halls. No one can or should expect our dining halls to serve shrimp and grits or cavatappi on the same level as that of restaurants like Poogan's Porch or Husk. However, if you compare our dining halls to those of universities such as Clemson ours might as well be a five-star restaurant.
According to several of my friends who attend Clemson University, their dining halls simply can't compare to the variety and flavor of the ones we have here at CofC. At the beginning of my 2017 fall semester, I was actually sent a picture of a slice of pizza that was so burnt on its underside that it appeared as if someone had gone into Photoshop and digitally removed the shape of a pizza slice from the image.
I was then informed of the lack of variety of food as well as healthy options offered to students at Clemson. In fact, one of my friends who attends said that being a vegan at the university while eating at the dining halls is actually incredibly hard as the dining staff is extremely unconscious of the dietary requirements and preferences of the students.
In contrast, the CofC dining staff does an incredible job of making food, at the worst, edible and flavorful while at the same time offering a wide array of foods that include options for nearly every dietary preference. Although we have only two true dining halls there are several other healthy options that remain just as affordable as anything else such as Marty's Place, Boar's Head, Jole Mole, and Olilo. If anything CofC promotes eating healthy which is extremely progressive and considerate of the student population.
Personally, as someone who gets tired of eating the same food over and over again extremely quickly, over the expanse of my first year here at CofC I have never once gotten tired of eating at the dining halls. The rotation of foods and introduction of new recipes and meals keep everything fresh while at the same time promoting more healthy diets. Also, if there is ever something I don't like at one dining hall I always know I can head to another one to find something I'll love.
Although many people will say that the food at the dining halls simply does not meet their standards, CofC even offers an off-campus meal plan which pretty much allows you to treat many of the restaurants in and around the college campus as well as the city of Charleston as dining halls. Regardless, CofC does a great job of providing for their students when it comes to food as well as keeping the palate fresh, tasty, and healthy. In comparison to other colleges, CofC does an excellent job and instead of asking for more we should appreciate what we have and, quite literally, savor it.
