by Hallie Gleeson
Complaining about Cowan is a treasured Centre student pastime. We’ve talked about the bland food, the endless supply of off-season cantaloupe, and the freezer-burned ice cream… but since CentreTerm, these grievances have subsided.
“I think I’ve just had my first-ever Cowan meal,” one student declared. “Before, I was just shoveling food into my mouth because I needed to eat… but this was a real meal.”
There’s a new chef in Danville—and he’s been serving up dishes that are stirring up the Colonels. The new daily Cowan menu has been filled with more thoughtful eating items than before, with some flavor combinations having more success than others. Each of the stations usually align into a well-balanced plate, rather than a jumbled mix of sides. However, diners discovered that though their chicken was cooked and their fries were seasoned, the yummy blondies and smoothies were noticeably missing.
“It’s sort of a bait-and-switch,” said one student, sadly glancing at the sandwich on her plate. “There will be something neat, like the panini press, for a day. Then we never see it again. Why not leave it out?”
A few other students had similar feedback:
“What happened to the vegetarian selection? It’s always empty now, plus the alternative milks are unusually not stocked.”
“I miss the dessert bar! The new cookies aren’t the same.”
These complaints may seem petty, yet Centre students pay several thousand dollars towards dining costs. Since Centre requires its students to have a meal plan, this sort of feedback is one of the only ways we can control the food options we have. Given the hundreds we spend on dining each month, we could stand to have more autonomy for the food that is offered. The money we pay would be enough to have our choice of fresh groceries and takeout if we put together our own diet, so speak up.
Speak softly, though: The overall improvement that Chef Desmond has brought to the table has been remarkable! The Cowan experience has drastically improved. Even YikYak, normally a breeding ground for complaints, has sung praises for our new head chef. Colonels are happy with the increased options and management of our common dining hall. A more balanced review of the balanced dishes that Cowan has been offering truly demonstrates the change that has occurred this semester!
I haven’t had raw chicken in at least two weeks, and that’s worth a few stale cookies.