The dining hall at Mount Saint Mary College usually gets a bad reputation of having sub-par food, to say the least. As a senior in college who maintained his unlimited swipe meal plan, I am a proud defender of the dining hall food. I’m not saying the food is always delicious, or uses the finest ingredients, but I do believe the Aquinas dining hall is not as bad as everyone says.

1. The breakfast is really good.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and everyday chef Steve makes over 100 fresh omelets. Granted, they may take a few minutes to make, but they are certainly worth the wait. If you’re not in the mood for an omelet or are simply in a rush to class, fresh bagels, fruit and a waffle maker are all available at your disposal.

2. They have stir fry for lunch.

To me, lunch is always tricky because I feel like my options are so limited. On certain days, I always get excited when the dining hall has stir fry. Even if you don’t like vegetables you can easily get a hot plate of just chicken and rice.

3. They have Boar's Head sandwiches.

If you’re not feeling the stir fry, then there are a variety of sandwiches. I’ll admit it, sometimes I question where the turkey comes from, but those boars head sandwiches are a nice upgrade. They are usually a healthy option and use ingredients you can't normally get at the deli.

4. Because Roger is a great chef.

Every night at dinner Roger works hard to put together a hot, delicious meal. I think we can all agree that Roger always gets creative with his meals. This past week he has served vegetable lo mein and pasta primavera.

5. They have amazing desserts! (even healthy ones).

For those students who have a sweet tooth, the dining hall is the place to go. Not only do they have four flavors of ice cream, but they also have a display of dry desserts during lunch and dinner. They have even have healthy dessert in frozen yogurt!

6. The to-go meals are actually pretty good.

Even if you’re not interested in any of the dining hall options the to-go meals are pretty good. Food like items like popcorn chicken salads, buffalo chicken wraps, stuffed shells, spaghetti and meatballs are all tasty meals when you’re in a rush. In addition, if you add chips and drink you’re looking at a $10 Henry's meal.

7. It tests your creativity.

One of the most common complaints that I casually hear about dining hall food is that “there is nothing to eat." False. There is always something to eat, but sometimes you may have to think outside the box. For example, there is some kind of pasta every day. Even though the pasta can be bland if you add chicken from entrée, and cheese from the salad bar you just turned a snack into a meal. If you get creative with the ingredients available to you, and learn to find your inner chef, there is always something at the MSMC dining hall.