First Year, First Impressions

Coming in as a first year to any school is an intimidating experience, and the immediate thing most students will do is to find comfort in their new home. This comfort is often times found in food, and so to find what first years think of the food and how it adds to the experience of coming to school, I spoke with some Freshmen (who prefer to stay anonymous). 

Their first impression were similar in the way that it seemed as if there were a lot of options at Chase. The pasta options are nice, and the regular vegetable options feel healthy, plus the special events on Wednesdays such as the lobster night makes for a pleasant experience. While these few things make it a nice place to eat on campus, after a few days of eating at Chase for at least two meals per day, it was obvious to my interviewees that the options would get old after a while, and lose the appeal that they first had. To add onto the fact that the daily options were relatively limited, being a vegetarian means there are even less options, therefore the meals get even more boring after a few days. The quality was also a concern to these students as one of they are aware of non organic, GMO, and processed foods, and the healthy benefits often lost in food when compared to the quality of nutrients in natural and organic food. Putting the actual food aside, the atmosphere of Chase as well as Emerson is very inviting, with nice seating and lots of light. It seems like this is important especially for freshman to be able to hang out with new people in a neutral environment, and so Wheaton seems to have definitely got that part down. 

So when the options are limited, and when one doesn't eat meat and would rather not eat less than healthy foods, how would the dining services act as a tool to make the adjustment to Wheaton easier. Well it seems like while the food might make it somewhat of a negative experience, the place itself provides more of a positive experience, allowing the first year students to ease into their college life.  From what I can tell, Chase offers up when it comes to the dining at and around the Dimple. Dining at Chase definitely plays a role in their college experience, but the role leans more towards a nice environment to socialize in while you eat, rather than great food where you can also see friends.