College Dining: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Last week I arrived back on Grounds at the University of Virginia. After moving in and arranging my room I was hungry, so I walked over to my nearest dining hall, Runk. It was not busy inside; too early for the dinner crowd. I listened to the conversation some of the UVA Dine staff was having behind the grill while I surveyed my options: a burger and fries, chicken breast and potatoes, ground beef nachos, pizza, salad bar… I felt at home—it was pretty much the exact same menu as my final meal last Spring. I walked over to the chicken, potatoes, and green beans and asked for everything. I received my plate, then went straight to the hot sauce station to doctor it. It was a really typical dining hall experience: passably good, but a little dreary. 

It was like this two years ago at my orientation and no doubt has been for many years prior. During those first interactions with the dining halls at summer orientation and in the fall of your first year, the dining hall is foundational to shaping social connections and your relationship with the University. It’s where you go with someone from your class who you found interesting, or to meet someone whose mom knows your mom and they put you in touch. The dining experience, along with the campus itself, are the two institutional touchstones that all students encounter throughout the next four years.