I Love The DC – Contest Winners

First Prize: $200

Meghan L. ’12
I love the D.C.s because they have exceeded my expectations repeatedly throughout my three years at UMass. They excel in food variety and freshness, entertainment, local support, and sustainability. The D.C.s hire student workers, giving the student body pride in our D.C.s and providing employment when it might otherwise be unattainable. The D.C.s also provide an abundance of delicious choices. As a vegetarian, it’s rare to encounter so many options, yet I always find something new and exciting to eat at each meal. Along with the food comes the fun and welcoming atmosphere. Events such as hosting bands, Halloween lobsters, and chocolate fondue fountains make eating at the D.C.s a cheerful and exciting experience. Finally, I love the D.C.s because of the pioneering steps they have taken to embrace sustainability. Through going “trayless”, composting all food scraps, serving sustainable seafood, purchasing 23% local produce, and implementing the Franklin permaculture garden, the D.C.s are really taking sustainability above and beyond.

When you hear the words “UMass Dining Commons”, what comes to mind? For me, I think top-quality and nationally renowned. For me, I think fresh local foods, friendly atmosphere, and sustainability. And that is why I love the D.C.

Second Prize: $100

Abby N. ’14
Three times a day, I open my computer and click on the most important bookmark saved to my internet: UMass Dining. As I enter this magical website, I’m left speechless by the multitude of meal options ranging from the creamy and warm Tomato Basil Bisque to the crisp and cheesy Artichoke Rosemary Bruschetta. Each day I plan my meals out so that I can taste a little of every delicious entrée that strikes my fancy, while also appreciating the ability to check the nutrition of these dishes beforehand. This allows me to stay both healthy and satisfied. The majority of my socializing during the week is done in the DC’s while my friends and I spend time discussing homework and funny stories from that day, while enjoying a warm and nutritious meal. I feel great knowing how much effort UMass Dining puts into sustainability and the purchasing of local produce. Meals are an essential part of a person’s day; therefore the food provided at a university should match the quality of that university. UMass Amherst is a nationally ranked public university, and UMass Dining matches that level of quality impeccably. My name is Abby Needleman, and I love the DC.

Third Prize: $50

Stephanie S. ’14
Berkshire. Hampshire. Worcester. Franklin. Stir-fry. Burgers. Fries. Carrots. Salad. Granola. Fruit. Displays. Ratatouille. Awards. Steak. A place to relax. Captain Crunch. Beans. Soup. “Have a beautiful day”. Pizza. Candy. Yogurt. The workers uniforms. Ice Cream. Dumplings. Lobster and Steak. Scallops. Pulled Pork. Pasta Supreme. Rice. Veggies Galore. Waffles. A place to meet friends. Chocolate Milk. Nutrition. Ryan’s comments on suggestion cards. Carrot Cake. Grapes. Garlic Bread. Events. The “Franklin Smell”. Citrus Water. Flavor. Hampshire’s famous burritos. Hot Dogs. Spring Rolls. Catering to our needs. Grab & Go. Onion Rings. Smoothies. Chicken Cordon Bleu. Tomato Soup. Green Beans. Berkshire Late Night. Free Shirts. Sushi. Wraps and Sandwiches. Wifi. Joe’s Pizza. Chocolate Fondue. Omelets. Unlimited Options. Guest Swipes. Berkshire’s random ambiance lighting. Brownies. Pork Loin. Freshman 15. Healthy Options. Not so healthy options. Tofu. Singing Chefs. Grilled Chicken. Yen. Chowder. Presentation. Bread. Shrimp. Always open. Garden Burgers. Stuffed Shells. M&M Fudge Bars. Cod. Flirty stir-fry boys. Community. Locally grown food. Feeling like you’re at home. Feeling like your mom is cooking for you. Feeling at home. The DC’s make UMass home.

Honorable Mention: $25

Christian E. ’11
College life is a huge transition for most incoming students. It is hard enough to give up all the comforts of home, to live in a small and dark room with a stranger, but an additional challenge revolves around food. Most of us students were used to a healthy and satisfactory home-cooked meal at least once a day prepared by our parents.

However on most college campuses a nice homemade dinner is not always a possibility, unless you were blessed with great culinary skills or have a lot of time and desire to experiment in the kitchen. The UMass dining experience makes us forget about missing home-cooked meals.

UMass dining provides students with fair priced, award winning healthy meals. UMass dining has food for students of every taste and diet. My friends that are vegetarians and my friends that are carnivores are able to find delicious meals at the dining halls.

The great food that UMass dining has provided made my four years on campus all the more enjoyable. Their dedication to quality, environmental sustainability, local food suppliers, quality and a fun, entertaining atmosphere make the dining halls one of the best places to be on campus.

Merav K. ’14
“Dorm side. Square table near cereal.” “Dessert side. Round table by the soft-serve.” Perhaps half the text messages entering and leaving my phone since I entered college contain such DC-specific lingo that only a real UMass student who frequents the dining commons would understand. I consider my phone to be my most essential social tool, and the content in its text messages is only indicative of one fact: the heart of social life on the UMass campus rests in the dining commons.

Countless meals are shared with friends and colleagues around the commons’ tables— long, round, square—which always manage to magically accommodate any number of people. Within such a large and diverse campus, the dining commons provide a base where any student can eat, engage in lively conversation, casually read a newspaper, or people-watch the eclectic mix of students with their even more eclectic food combinations. With themed meals ranging from Chinese New Year to Chilean fruit, and events such as barbeques, Cooking 101 and the Taste of UMass, the dining commons unfailingly provide variety, excitement, nutrition, and culinary genius while maintaining a wonderful constant to campus life that unites the entire UMass population.