Tufts University - Jumbo Yearbook (Medford, MA)

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M s C O o £ Dining Off A significant step in maturing in the Tufts process includes weaning oneself from the meal plan. Some people drop the mealplan slowly, going first from the 20 to the 14, then to the 10 or even the 5, gradu¬ ally adding in fillers and substitutes, ' while others go cold turkey, forsak¬ ing the comforts of pre-prepared food all at once. A kitchen of one’s own is not necessarily a prerequisite for cooking on your own — it’s amazing what you can make with a hot pot and toaster oven — but it does make things a whole lot easier. If practical experience is the key to learning, then the sudden respon¬ sibility for one’s nutritional survival is a crash course in growing up. Quickly the shopper learns the in’s and out’s of comparison shopping. On the micro level, one considers Prego vs. Ragu, Parkay vs. Butter, and the artisitic value of linguini over spaghetti. On the macro level, this means choosing between the proximity of convenience stores vs. the savings of Heartland or Star Market (pronounced Hahtland and Stah Mah-ket respectively). The question lingers — is any price low enough to justify being charged for paper bags? Once where to shop has been de¬ termined, the next question is when ? This is where Heartland’s true value comes through. A midnight Heart¬ land-run is the time you’re sure to run into all those people you met freshmen year and haven’t seen since. Off campus dining tests the inno¬ vative powers of the student. One learns the art of opening a wine bot¬ tle without a corkscrew, converting a frying pan into a makeshift wok, and making (or NOT making) chocolate mousse without an elec¬ tric mixer. Time relationships be¬ come crucial as one figures out how to chop, slice and dice all the ingre¬ dients for a meal with the only sharp knife in the house, while all the friends you invited over to sample your culinary cuisine stand around asking if there’s anything they can do to help. Time relationships be¬ come crucial as meal preparation cuts into study time. Spatial rela¬ tionships take on new dimensions, especially when relating to refriger¬ ator and cupboard shelves. Though off campus dining signals the end to lunch lines, powdered eggs, soggy vegetables, and over¬ cooked pasta, it also eliminates the ease of “ready and waiting, come- and-get-it’ ' food. One begins to ap¬ preciate Dining Services, especially the people in the dishroom. The dai¬ ly scoping and socializing opportu¬ nities of dining hall eating are no longer so readily available. Perhaps the greatest inconvenience of opting for dining off is the complication of locating The Tufts Daily. This pro¬ vokes much anxiety, especially in large, extended block lectures. While dining off has its disadvan¬ tages, it also has many advantages. No more settling for chicken-fried steak when you were really in the mood for some tacos. And it is a bit difficult to have a dinner party in the middle of MacPhie Pub. Of course, if your cooking skills aren’t quite up to par, you can always go to Jay ’s! by Jennifer Fisch 28 Student Life

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Student Li! ' 7

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Photo Marc Sadler Student Life ?