After over two years of the Fieldston community missing its dining hall, on the first Monday in February an extraordinary event occurred: the cafeteria fully reopened. And although this may seem insignificant to many, this event has not only improved the quality and variety of the cafeteria food, but also completely shifted the social scene.
Many of us can remember those cliché high school movies in which the new kid walks into the dining hall, with a tray of somewhat inedible-looking food in hand, looking for a place to sit and people to eat with. They scan the entire room, and when they find no inviting table, they scurry to the bathroom to eat alone, hunched over their food in a stall. No one wants to be that kid — but during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a reality for many Fieldston students because there was not a universal place to eat.
The dining experience was different in that students could not just get their food and sit at a table. They had to get their food and then find a place to eat and people to eat with. While this does seem like a somewhat easy task for some, it may be daunting for others. Many new students did not have preexisting friends to whom they could text “where r u?” Additionally, many students did not want to waste their precious lunchtime trekking across the entire campus – from the auditorium to the commons to the band rooms – just looking for a crowd of people to sit with.
Now that the dining hall is back in business, Greta Glanz (IV) stated, “it’s so nice because you can find people, you don’t have to hunt around so much.” Many students took a big sigh of relief after receiving the exciting email that the cafeteria seating was going to reopen. Julianne Resnick (IV) felt similarly. “I think it’s really nice for all the students to interact and be around each other.” She then went on to say, “now that everyone’s together I think we feel more like a grade.”
Everyone is also happy about the salad bar and sandwich of the day making a comeback (fun fact: every single sandwich served in the cafeteria is actually based off of a sandwich at Riverdeli). The most positive feedback has been attributed to the school breakfast. Diana Bienstock (Form IV) says, “the breakfast is really boujee, it has an omelet bar, yummy crêpes, as well as delicious muffins.” Glanz agreed, saying “I like how you can get breakfast and sit in the morning, it’s so relaxing.”
The number of students choosing to go off campus during the school day has seen a steep decrease ever since the cafeteria reopened. Resnick pointed out that “it’s easier to grab food right here.” She said, “I no longer feel the need to go to Riverdeli or to Rolen Bagels. I don’t even go off anymore.” Of course some students still choose to leave campus, but instead of enjoying their food off school grounds, many are bringing their food to the dining hall to enjoy their meals in this returning Fieldston environment.
However, the system does have its faults. Ella Topkins (Form IV) thinks that “it’s so disorganized” with regards to, “the backpack situation.” And Beinstock wishes “that the lunch could be as good as the breakfast.”
Resnick, like many other students, is excited because “it feels like life is finally going back to normal.” To similar ends, Bienstock has loved “seeing different people and interacting with them more” and Glanz is just so appreciative “to not have to hunch over food anymore.”
As for my opinion, I have never looked forward to lunch at Fieldston as much as I do now. The quality and variety of the food now are simply astonishing (we might even have sushi this Spring…). And I am also reassured that finding a table to sit at with my friends will be no stress at all.
As Bienstock enthusiastically declared, “Go cafeteria staff!”
