Does Purchase Food Live Up to Mama’s Meals?

By Evan Cash Rosen

From casual to sit-down dining, Purchase offers its students a variety of meals to choose from, but how do students really feel about the food on campus?

“The food is dull,” said Emma Ivanov, a freshman with a double major in creative writing and English.

Saige Valentino (left) and Brock Williams (right) eating their food at The Hub. (Photos by Evan Cash Rosen)

All students living in the residential dorms are required to purchase a meal plan where they can choose to eat from a variety of locations, each with their distinctive menu. These locations include Dining Hall, The Hub, Starbucks and Einstein's Bagels.

When asked about the food on campus, Frankie Joaquin, a sophomore theater and performance major, explained how he appreciates the variety of cultural foods the Dining Hall offers. “They [the dining hall] like to mix things up depending on the day…they have different meals based on different cultures, so like Spanish food, Asian food, and Indian food.”

Noodles, spring rolls, asparagus and pork at The Hub. (Photo by Evan Cash Rosen)

Amelia Desalos, an undeclared sophomore with a minor in jazz and performance, says, “Whenever it was Hispanic Heritage Month, they ate, they ate down. The black beans, they know what they’re doing.”

When questioned about the food’s quality, Joaquin recalled his recent visit to True Burger, located at The Hub, and said, “I had a normal chicken sandwich from True Burger, and it was dry. It wasn’t really as good as it could be.”

The pizza station at The Hub. (Photo by Evan Cash Rossen)

Tyler Newman, a sophomore arts management major, commented on the overall quality of the Purchase food: “It’s just powdered eggs, like not actually real.” Newman also spoke about how the overall quality of the food at Purchase fared in comparison to the food he remembers from home and said, “The food is definitely better at home…There’s more options of food from home that are not as processed.”

Ashayjahlia Wynter, a sophomore with a theater performance and psychology major, said she was a picky eater and enjoyed cooking her own meals at home but is currently unable to do so due to the lack of a kitchenette in the dorms. Wynter says, “I miss having a kitchen, stove and microwaves that have high wattage…maybe the dorms could have a kitchen in the basement so people can make their own meals cause it’s difficult having the same choices every day.”

The salad bar at The Hub. (Photo by Evan Cash Rosen)

Emile Regnier-Kline, a freshman in theater and performance, expressed similar sentiments enjoying the weekly selections in The Hub. He was disappointed with how stale it felt after a short amount of time, wishing he had a kitchen. He said, “I used to cook at home, but now I can’t cook, and I miss it. And I used to hate cooking at home, but then I got to Purchase.”

Diana Reyes, a junior with an environmental studies major, explained how since she is a commuter, she would rather just eat off campus. Reyes said, “Einstein Bros. Bagels compared to Dunkin’ Donuts tastes more fake, which is kind of weird because Dunkin’ is a cheaper alternative.”

Students mentioned having a similar experience, sharing how they felt that dining halls such as The Hub were expensive given how mundane the food was. Joaquin said, “Times like that are disappointing because you pay money for it, and it’s only until after you do that that you realize it’s not the best.”

Desalos says, “Food is a way to communicate love, and there is no love in this food.”