Every day after high school water polo practice, I would head straight to my kitchen cabinet and pour myself a large bowl of cereal. My Japanese mother would always respond the same way: “Spencer, you should be eating a bowl of rice for dinner, not cereal. You crazy!” However, now that I am a first-year college student, I find myself eating bowls of cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner, just like many of my peers. Sorry, Mommy.
After many years of experimenting with different types of cereal, my palate grew sophisticated and my knowledge of cereal became legendary. A week ago, I encountered a very flustered girl near the cereal bar in Hedrick dining hall. Her eyes shifted at a rapid pace between the Golden Grahams and the Cinnamon Toast Crunch. A short line began to form behind her as her frustration of not knowing which cereal was which quickly escalated into panic. She proceeded to clench the clear, plastic shovel tighter and tighter until she suddenly snapped, reaching for the Corn Pops in a fury. I quickly stepped into the situation, explaining how to identify the two similar cereals.
Why was I giving advice about cereal to a confused, emotional college student? Dining halls are strange places.
My unique passion for cereal is only one of many oddities in UCLA’s dining halls.
“I like to put ketchup on my broccoli and carrots. Ketchup goes well on everything,” said Tobi Skotnes, a first-year mathematics student who courageously defended her bold use of the condiment.
“When I was younger, I used to put corn in my mashed potatoes and gravy, and I’ve been doing it ever since,” said Kevin Caldwell, a first-year microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics student who explained how childhood eating habits have carried over into his adulthood.
The dining halls at UCLA function as a melting pot for different cultures, backgrounds and eating practices. It amazes me how there can be so many different ways to eat waffles. I have seen students eat waffles with fruit, ice cream, peanut butter, syrup, butter, cream cheese, Tabasco sauce and even ranch dressing. I have seen some students add wasabi and soy sauce to their burritos, while other students add hot sauce to their sushi.
This is the cultural fusion that takes effect every day in UCLA’s dining halls. Students observe each other’s food selections and often incorporate new combinations of dishes that they would normally never try.
Besides the unorthodox food combinations, UCLA students often unite in strange dining hall rituals. Occasionally, they will be sitting down at tables eating dinner with their buddies when ““ SMASH! An obnoxious cheer and applause soon follows as an embarrassed girl creeps away from the broken dishes.
Another fairly common ritual at the dining halls is the practice of pranks and dares. Many students love to concoct repulsive drinks that their friends will hopefully consume. Seeing Tapatio, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, Pepsi, ground beef and melted ice cream all mixed together in a glass can put a smile on any face. And the chant begins, “Chug, chug, chug, chug.”
Other students get a kick out of pulling down their best friends’ shorts while they’re carrying a loaded tray of food.
Dining halls often serve as a hotbed for gossip as well. They provide a place for students to catch up with their friends and exchange the latest buzz on current drama, love interests, and of course, drama with love interests.
Many strange things occur in UCLA’s dining halls, and this special combination of oddities all occurring simultaneously is the recipe for student relaxation. In the end, my decision to eat cereal three times a day against my mother’s will is really just symbolic of first-year students’ quests to find their own identity without the influences of their parents. Dining halls merely symbolize the UCLA campus itself, representing freedom, creativity and competition. Dining halls allow students to embrace their own passions and take a break from studying to engage in behavior that may seem a bit strange.
If you’ve ever chugged that weird concoction, e-mail Dunn at sdunn@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.