Things that used to be better when I was your age… Dining Halls, Pt. 1.

Now I know what you’re thinking: “But Eric, almost all the dining halls on campus have been remodeled, renovated, or created in the last four years.” True. Doesn’t mean they’ve been improved.I may not eat in the dining halls as much as I once did, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t noticed some of the big changes that have taken place since I was a freshman.Here are a few “improvements” that have taken place in the last few years… 1. Healthier Food (Biggest Offender: Whitman)Maybe I’m way off base here, but I thought the point of being in college was being able to clog my arteries for four years without any repercussions. Back in the day, I could have sworn that there were at least two fried options every night, in every dining hall. Delicious. I could have fried chicken, with a side of French Fries, and a fat-full bowl of ice cream. I wouldn’t need to eat again for at least another hour or two.These days, though, fried food is frowned up. Apparently it’s “bad for you,” or some such nonsense. If it were so bad for me, then why does it taste so incredible? You really just can’t get the same sort of satisfaction out of a tofu steak or a wheatgrass burger. Don’t even get me started on the salad bar.2. No Breaded Chicken Cutlets (Biggest Offender: Forbes)Freshman year, this was all I ate. Every day, probably twice a day. You top this bad boy with some cheese, maybe even double-stack it? Like an orgasm in your mouth. (That came out funny, never mind). Let’s just say it can make you believe in a food God. So you can only imagine my reaction when I returned for sophomore year and the deep fryer had been removed from the Forbes Grill.  Actually, you don’t have to imagine. Someone was on hand to videotape it (ignore the intro).As you can see, I was not thrilled. Now I venture far and wide to find Dining Halls that can satisfy my breaded chicken cutlet urges. They are frequent. In fact, I’m going to get one right now. Part Two coming next week…