Keene State offers many food options for hungry students in need of fuel. If students are craving some crispy chicken tenders, a flavorful taco or perhaps a savory sub, they can head to Lloyd’s Marketplace for a satisfying lunch, or check out the Hoot n’ Scoot for a teriyaki bowl or a famous Sizzler. There are also plenty of places in the surrounding downtown area that cater to nearly any food desire.
However, the most basic and traditional place to fill a stomach is the Zorn Dining Commons (DC), which serves a wide variety of food each day. While student opinion on the DC has leaned negative in the past, the DC has recently upped its game by hosting several events that feature themed food options for anyone to enjoy.
The most recent of these events was a ’50s-style soda bar theme that was held on Tuesday, March 31. Students on campus shared their thoughts on the events the DC has put on this academic year and whether or not these events have altered their overall opinion on the quality of the Dining Commons.
“I don’t care about the events, I don’t have much of an opinion on them,” junior Jessica Dane shared. “They take away my nice tables.”
“The events do limit my seating options, and I question if the chicken tender budget is so high because of the events. No hate, though,” senior Izzy Healy also shared.
“Yeah, no hate,” Dane added.
“I think it’s cool that they put on these events,” junior Nisha Poudel said. “I’m not here very often, but I do think they’re interesting when I am here. I think the overall quality of the DC food has improved–they’re using more spices.”
Poudel’s tablemate, junior Pauline Astrud Batan, seconded that sentiment. “They’ve certainly upped their game these last couple of semesters; the food is getting better,” Astrud Batan said. “The events are cool. I really liked the basketball thing they did with the Gatorade; that was a lot of fun. I also went to the ‘50s soda diner. There was a live band and people were dancing, which was really cool.”
“The events raise morale,” sophomore Dyllon Lawrie shared. “They’re definitely doing what they intend to do with them. They raise spirits and add flair to a somewhat boring place.”
“It’s a good mix-up that keeps things fresh. It’s interesting to have a new thing to focus on,” Lawrie’s tablemate, sophomore William Gagnon said.
“I think they’re pretty cool, fun and interesting,” another sophomore Emmet Hartford said.
Sophomore Gavin Barbagallo confessed that he does not often go to the DC, but said that he thinks the one event he’s seen was interesting.
“The one I saw had a bouncy house, which was cool, but I feel like generally they could do more. I think they should try to make it so more people want to do them. I feel like nobody is really always doing them,” Barbagallo stated.
“I really liked the ‘50s event,” senior Fiori Mitchell said. “Most of the time, the food is boring–like it’s good, but it’s pretty normal. When you taste the themed food, you can tell they put a lot of effort into it. I thought the [mocktails] at the ‘50s event were really cool. They spiced up the normal.”
Junior Elizabeth Fahel shared that while she would love to attend the events, she often cannot due to a loaded schedule.
“I love the idea of the events, but it’s hard to go because they’ll be midday or in the evening, and I have a lot of classes,” Fahel said. “The events seem really fun, though, and I love the effort they put into them. It really adds to the vibes of the theme of the event. I would love to go more because I really love the effort, but I usually can’t.”
While opinions differ on the DC’s events, students who have yet to attend one can anticipate more of them to pop up on the schedule in the upcoming academic year.
KSC Dining Resident District Manager Samantha D’Angelo was contacted for comment but did not respond.
Serena Taylor can be contacted at
staylor@kscequinox.com
