Posted by Blair Warren
The "freshman 15" is real. Many new Skidmore students have fallen victim to this college-wide tragedy and it's hard to stop it, especially here at Skidmore, with amazing dining hall food and D-Hall's beautiful, comfortable layout. There's pizza, deli sandwiches, diner food, a great salad bar, the global caf?? and so many different types of cereal it makes early morning decisions very difficult. People living in the dorms are also required to be on the unlimited meal plan, meaning you can get into D-Hall as often as you want. It just doesn't seem fair, but I'm not complaining.
Something I've found interesting about Skidmore is how often we have sundaes. I love the concept of "Sundae Sunday," but there's also a "Sundae Wednesday," and out of respect for the sundaes, it's important to get one on both of the days, of course. My friends and I have started a habit where we try to speedily eat our dinners so we can get in line for our fabulous ice cream creations - I know, it's a great habit.
A friend of mine was preparing for Sundae Sunday for days. She thought of something creative (CTM, right?) where instead of ice cream, she used yogurt and then piled on the toppings. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but she absolutely loved it. This is a healthier Sundae Sunday option that I definitely recommend. I'll stick with the ice cream, though.
You don't realize how good the food is here until you compare it to other colleges. A friend of mine from Union College came to visit and the second she stepped into the D-Hall, she was completely overwhelmed. She stared at the food options in awe and had stacks of plates by the time we were done. Since I have nothing else to compare it to, the food here seems pretty standard, but thanks to her visit I'm now able to appreciate it a lot more.
Another perk of having a bountiful D-hall is the endless supply of coffee, which I can't get enough of. It's not like it's anything special, but it's so addictive and always available. A few days ago, though, they took away the plastic cups so you can't take coffee out of the D-Hall anymore unless you have, or borrow a reusable mug. This brings new levels of anxiety to my newfound coffee addiction, but also motivates me to be sustainable and invest in my own coffee mug.
You always hear about college kids pulling all-nighters in the library, energized on caffeine and sugar to crank out an essay that's due the next day. I used to think this was just a dramatization but a few days ago I became one of those people. I had an essay due the next day and a lot of reading, so first I stopped by the dining hall, drank a lot of coffee, and spent the next few hours sitting in a chair in the library, trying to make sense of what I was writing.
I left the library feeling very accomplished. Not only did I finish my work, I was also a clich?? college student. When I got back to my dorm, though, my roommates were sleeping and I tried to go to bed but my eyes wouldn't close. I lied there, jittery and wired. I had so much caffeine that I couldn't sleep and I woke up the next day utterly exhausted. The moral of the story, I suppose, is to balance the caffeine, especially when it's so readily available in the dining hall.
Although the freshman 15 is very real, it's also possible to be healthy and balanced. Skidmore has many healthy options, making it easy to have a good balanced meal. As can be seen with my past reckless coffee intake, it's all about the balance.