Why write about food? Does food matter? Intrigued by these questions, I decided to end my semester as Food Editor with an investigation of what food means to Wesleyan students.

In college, it’s so easy to dismiss feeding ourselves as just one of our many basic (and occasionally boring) daily needs, along the lines of sleeping or going to the bathroom. Although the University’s dining services are better than most, we’re still eating in a cafeteria, a place that detaches us from the food, the earth in which it was grown, and the labor involved in preparing it. I find that food isolated from its source doesn’t nourish the soul in quite the same way.

I remember my favorite Usdan meals not for the food but for the company. When I consider college dining as a whole, in fact, I think about food primarily as a symbol of community and leisure. Brunch is the classic example: It’s a chance to relax and to strengthen friendships at the same time. Likewise, we may not love Summerfields takeout or Usdan Late Night for their gourmet offerings, but when staying up late to study, we can certainly appreciate them for the crawling-through-a-desert level of relief we finally feel when taking a snack break. Late Night in particular can also be a great post-party experience, a way to continue a conversation or sate some cravings.

Although all of us cherish and rely upon food, only foodies are really willing to gush about it.

Fortunately, the students I spoke to for my informal survey had plenty to say, even when reduced to the more digestible form of six-word phrases (pun intended). Hopefully you’ll be encouraged to reflect on your relationship with food and, to pun again, what you typically bring to the table.

Gordon Pignato ’15:
“A perpetual choice: deliciousness or abs?”

Sonia Max ’17:
“Life sustaining, good excuse to socialize.”

MaryVail Baucom ’17:
“Fuel for the body; also tasty.”

Jessica Zalph ’16:
“Spice is the spice of life.”

Sonya Bessalel ’18:
“Joy, comfort, and sometimes I explode.”

Jennifer Cummings ’16:
“In front of fridge, Jenn lives.”

Marina King ’16:
“The life I live is food.”

Rachael Metz ’16:
“Life: salad with everything on top.”

Lizzie Paquette ’16:
“Domino’s pizza with pepperoni and cheese.”

Sam Curry ’17:
“Food is the comforts of home.”

Mira Klein ’17:
“Bodily and emotional fulfillment that’s delicious.”
Sara Feldman ’17:
“Appreciation and respect for the earth.”

Kyle Foley ’18:
“Energy, sustainment, delicious, full, necessary, shame.”

Eli McClintock-Shapiro ’17:
“Something to fill up my tummy.”

Peter McCook ’16:
“Food means bringing friends together. Wow!”

Fred Ayres ’17:
“Pleasure, a means to an end.”

Megan Dolan ’17:
“Delicious nutrients that give me energy.”

Noah Masur ’15:
“It is the enjoyment of survival.”

Nicolas de Soto-Foley ’17:
“Nutritional sustenance, social ceremony: absolutely necessary.”

Noah St. John ’18:
“It is my fuel and compass.”

Dan Storfer ’15:
“It’s anything and everything worth having.”