What up, I’m Ezra, and I will be blogging around once a week about campus food and everything related. I was told that I had to blog or else they would cut off the water supply to my house. Naw, I’m blogging willingly as Food Committee Chair for Vassar College this year.
Right now, we are in the critical period where you have to choose your meal plan—that is, if you’re not a senior. I recommend you really look into whether your meal plan is a good fit. I don’t know the actual statistics, but based on anecdotes students often have leftover meals that can range past 50, not uncommonly way more than 50. When I can find out those stats, I’ll let you know.
This google docs form will help point you toward the meal plan that best suits you!
Another issue this year is the Atrium, which will be closed this year due to budget cuts. There is, however, room for it to re-open it possibly next semester or next year. As Dean Roelke put it, nothing stays the same at Vassar. That’s not a word-for-word statement, but you get the idea.
Otherwise, options at the DC are more numerous compared to last year. Employees from each station—Mediterranean, Pizza, Grill—have all boasted of additions or at least improvements to their stations. The largest change that affects all stations is the new four-week cycle which has replaced the three-weeker. That means seven new items at each station compared to last year. Freshmen have no basis of comparison except against mom’s cooking.
If you have basic questions about the meal system (i.e. what are flexmeals? What are the hours of ACDC or the Retreat?), check out the campus dining website.
I’ll keep you updated on campus issues and what the Food Committee is doing to resolve them but I would love if you would update me on any issues you might have with the dining system as well. Or really just say anything! Leave comments, shoot me an email, facebook me—whatever. By the way, if you would like to represent your dorm on the food committee, definitely send me an e-mail with some background tid-bits and why you want to join the committee. Nothing too lengthy.
If progress should ever appear, we’ll see it this year.
—Ezra Roth ’10 is the student chair of the Vassar College Food Committee. E-mail him at ezroth@vassar.edu.
Hey! As a new TA resident, I was just wondering if you could do a blog post about how to cook smartly in the upperclassmen housing. As one of the only schools where students are in a dorm and on the meal plan for 3 straight years, we’re all a little out of sorts trying to cook for ourselves quickly and healthy. And since the Atrium is closed, for those of us without cars, our Vassar dining options are really quite limited. Please help! Thanks!
Hi Rachel!
Charlie and I are working on your request…there is a student blog (Vassar Cooks, on Blogspot) that speaks to cooking in the TAs and THs, but we’re doing a little research to see how to do quick food the healthy way!