I Love The DC – Contest Winners

First Prize: $200

Nitzan Singer
Four years have now passed since my first Dining Commons encounter. My experiences at the DCs have been unsurpassed and, even more notably, deliciously memorable. Breakfasts with friends and co-workers, lunches with fellow residents, and dinners with visiting family have all become such important aspects of my experience here at Umass Amherst. Picking up a Grab-’n'-Go before class or relaxing with a comforting dinner after an intense exam always makes a busy day all the more uplifting. The atmosphere of each DC is so unique and phenomenal that picking out just one favorite is a tremendous challenge. With my final days at Umass approaching, I realize with regret that very soon my last DC meal will be awaiting me. This bittersweet moment is so heartrending, because looking back months from now I already know how much I will miss the Caesar salads, sushi nights, and 2pm breakfasts on Saturday mornings. I have heard many times throughout my life that “nothing could possibly beat a home-cooked meal.” If this statement is true then I can sincerely say that throughout my undergraduate experience, the convivial and elevating visits to the DCs have undeniably made Umass feel as special as home.

Second Prize: $100

Alyssa Stenson
Do you eat to live or live to eat? Here at UMass, we live to eat!
Nutritionally, students will find nothing better in the 413 area code. Since I am a lactose-intolerant vegetarian, I worry about nutrition. Fortunately, the DCs offer plenty of soymilk and veggie burgers. In addition, each station features healthy food from different corners of the globe: Italian, Asian, and others.
Geographically, the halls are located conveniently across campus. Students are free to eat where they’d like.
Financially, the dining centers are the best deal on campus. Once a student swipes in, they have unlimited access to all the hall has to offer. But students: you can take food back to your dorm, but please leave the plates!
Educationally, the DCs offer an invaluable service. Who hasn’t studied in the DC with fresh sushi and stir-fry, making use of the free Wi-Fi in all DCs?
Socially, the dining centers are the epicenter of student life outside the classroom – hundreds of students enjoy meals with friends every day.
Environmentally, the DCs have committed to going green by eliminating trays form the halls.
I love the DC! So take a break, grab a bite, and enjoy UMass dining!

Third Prize: $50

David Francis
Nothing gives me quite the sense of community that the Dining Commons do.
“DC”, for short, the Dining Commons is more or less a word used among my friends and I as a social acronym. “Hey, you wanna grab some food at the DC?” Despite the business of our lives on this vast campus, I can get reacquainted with my friends at each meal and share what happened in between. And if I’m enjoying those quiet coffee and bagel moments to myself, there is always a chance that I might run into somebody at the coffee bar. In other ways, I just simply love the DC for what it’s worth—the food, the aromas, the anticipation of getting to enjoy a well cooked meal away from home. It can be a place to eat, a place to study, or a place to just pass time before the next class. The DC even helps me save money from having to go out to Big Y to buy my own tea. The thing I like best is being part of the whole “DC” culture— walking through the dining commons and being given the feeling that I’m part of the UMass community.

Honorable Mention: $25

Jeff Chen
In less than two weeks from now, the real world will hit me. My main concern after I graduate on May 15th isn’t where I’m going to work but – what am I going to feed myself? My junior year I lived off campus and didn’t have a meal plan. Worst idea ever. I hated cooking, grocery shopping, and not having food available when I wanted it. Senior year came and the first thing I did was purchase myself a YCMP plan. I loved having the convenience to eat amazing food whenever I was on campus. If I had class in Isenberg, I would stop by Franklin for some mozzarella sticks on Friday lunches. If I was playing basketball at the Southwest Courts, I would swipe myself into Berkshire for a grilled cheeseburger or Hampshire for a burrito. If I was at my friend’s apartment in North, we would go to Worcester for a bite to eat in the Oak Room. This whole year I wondered how I lived without it my junior year. Essentially, I learned that a DC meal plan has been a necessity to my life and has helped make my senior year at UMass perfect!

John Dunn
From the thousands of food choices, healthy options, and delectable desserts, there’s something for everyone. The events that I have participated in- guests chefs, chocolate 101, baking 101, white house chefs have been a once n a lifetime experience. In addition UMass dining gave me a job which cleared my head after a death in the family. This job fueled a passion i have with food, let me meet great people, and work in top class Berkshire Dining Hall! If there is one thing that I can say truly made my experience at UMASS superior to my colleagues at other schools, it would be the quality of the food and the care and love that the staff puts into their work every day for the students.

Laura B. Kozma
Amazing food, impeccable service, exhilarating events… what isn’t there to love about UMASS Dining? It’s as close to home as a college dining experience could be with Jean preparing omelets to perfection with a smile while striking up conversation like a UMASS Dining mother. Too busy to stop and eat? While other colleges leave their students in a loop, hungry because their class schedule is too demanding to include time for breakfast or lunch, Grab-n-go solves this problem offering a large variety of meals in convenient packaging for the students on the go like myself. Want to add a little spice to your life? Hop in the stir fry lines at Franklin or Worcester Dining Commons and have it made your way, with the ingredients you want, by specialty chefs. Craving an icy sweet treat? Ice cream of all varieties, including frozen yogurt of course, is always an option to finish off the perfect meal. Whatever your heart desires, UMASS Dining provides, at least that has been my experience. With my unlimited meal plan, I can swipe whenever and wherever I want, and know that something delicious waits for me on the other side of the card-swiping machine.

Marie Rivers
To begin, let me explain how I ended up at the Umass DC’s. Previously I went to a different university and this is my first year at umass. I live off campus and originally only got a meal plan for the convenience and social aspect. I figured I could put with another year of college food. To put it simply, Umass has far exceeded my expectations of college food. After a year at Umass I am still continually in awe of the quality of the options each day. My old school definitely did not have brick over pizza or freshly rolled sushi.

Part of the reason I came to Umass was because I wanted to return to my home state so I appreciate the DC’s dedication to locally grown food. As an environmental engineering major I value the DC’s composting efforts and steel water bottles.

The welcoming atmosphere and seating arrangements are perfect for eating with large or small groups and I often end up staying longer socializing with my new friends. I was confused at first when a friend once suggested the DC at 10:00pm; my old school did not have such extended hours. The DC’s are far more than just a place to eat.