College of William and Mary - Colonial Echo Yearbook (Williamsburg, VA)

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Around the Campus Steak, Shrimp, Chicken ... At Home They were elusive creatures, but they could always be tracked down by the savory aromas seeping out of their rooms. Gathering in dorm kitchens, jug- gling three bags of groceries as they plodded up five flights of stairs, they could only be Stu- dents Without Meal Plans. Al- though their faces were rarely seen at the Marketplace or the Caf, they were hardly social or nutritional outcasts, in fact, most of these students were quite sat- isfied with their lifestyles, citing better food, lower costs, and mealtime flexibility as just a few of the benefits of life without a meal plan. I eat much higher-quality food, and i pay $300-$400 less per semester, said junior Kathe Grosser, a resident of Holmes House. Grosser, relying upon her own cooking for most of her meals, prepared everything from fish and chicken dishes to spaghetti and shrimp. If you save that much money, you can afford to indulge in shrimp once in a while, she said. Senior Jenny Pleier ' s reason for staying off the meal plan for six semesters was simply bad food. I was eating too many carbo- hydrates, she said. Like others who chose not to buy from the food service, Pleier enjoyed be- ing able to plan her own meals and mealtimes. It works out well if your roommate likes the same kind of food that you do, Pleier ' s roommate, senior Kendal-Leigh O ' Rourke, said. For the price of a meal plan, you can eat like a queen. When asked about the disad- vantages of not having a meal plan, O ' Rourke was quick to re- ply, There are not! Pleier ad- mitted that she sometimes dis- liked cleaning up and that not having a car made shopping in- convenient. It ' s kind of a pain when your bags break all over the bus, she said. For many students without meal plans, availability of trans- portation determined where and how often they shopped for food. Like most students, Senior Christy Osoling preferred to shop at Farm Fresh, where food was the least expensive, but her choice of grocery stores usually depended on where her drivers were going. I try to stock up whenever I do go shopping so that I can just run out to the shopping center on the bus if I need a few things, Osoling said. Although Farm Fresh was the overall favorite, Safeway and Pantry Pride were also popular places to shop. Some students preferred Safeway for its 24- hour service, its bulk foods sec- tion, and its wide produce selec- tion. Others were attracted to Pantry Pride ' s double-coupon offers. Whatever the case, most students without cars shopped at Monticello supermarkets sim- ply because they were located on the bus route. When daily cooking became humdrum, students turned to the delis and fast food places for a change of pace. Some, like senior Doug English, sought out relaxed, quiet, fun places like the Green Leafe and Beetho- ven ' s Inn. For the most part. however, students ate their meals at home, finding their dorm kitchen facilities to be more than adequate for their needs. Although they sometimes missed the social aspects of be- ing on the meal plan, most felt that the convenience of cooking for themselves was worth the sacrifice. English, a Lambert House resident, preferred to cook at home because, as he put it, you can pop something into the oven and stay in the house to study. It ' s more convenient to have food around, and 1 like to cook, senior Tom Inge said. His favor- ite meals ranged from Cornish hen and spaghetti to an occa- sional steak. A gourmet chef in his own right, Inge pointed out that you can really impress the ladies with a nice dinner. Cheaper. Healthier. Easier. Whatever their rea- sons for cooking on their own, students without meal plans agreed that life without the food service was not a bad life indeed. — Carolyn Bond The springtime brings warm weather and problem of eating at nome is the clean barbecues. Robin Warvari, Mary Beth up Sinks seem to have a way of getting Straight, Joyce Singleton, and Dave filled quickly and emptying slowly. Dorm Constanza eat a hearty meal of barbecue and apartment kitchens often made a chicken and corn on the cob. The only nice home for visiting cockroaches.

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Being able to bring a desk of one ' s own and chairs and bookshelves creates a more personalized study atnaosphere. Jeff Lenser ' s drawing table makes it easi- er for him to spread books and paper out while studying unlike school provid- ed desks Having a car is a benefit of living off campus Rich Lipsky remembers Virgin- ia law states that all windows will be cleared of ice before driving. Sunbathing without others around is |usl part of the privacy obtained. Taking ad vantage of the sun, Jeanlne O ' Grody also catches up on reading.

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V. , , V ft. y ' Top: A nice quiet meal at home with everything within an arm ' s reach cre- ates an enjoyable eating atmosphere. Kelly Bauman. Evan Zweifel. and Joe Barrett dine without worrying about a soda machine or the salad bowl being empty Above: Whether on the meal plan or not Domino ' s pizza provides a break from cooking and cleaning dishes. For a study break. Anna Yoo orders a pizza to aid in fighting the hunger and preparing for another hour ses- sion of hitting the books Dining out also gave variety to the home cooked meals The Cheese Shop feeds stu- dents throughout the year with it ' s excellent french bread sandwiches and bread ends Life without a M. y ' v- 2