Bon Apetit-
all I eat here," said a Penn State student.
And for a beverage, "Lemonade, only
lemonade." That doesn't mean no
variety though. "There's tuna salad on a
bagel, or on a croissant or on lettuce,"
she explained.
Like many other students, she
has found something that suits and she
sticks with it. At the Lion's Den,
adventure in eating is not a
consideration.
Also like many other students,
this humanities major only eats a few of
her weekly meals at the Lion's Den. Her
fast-food alternative is a cheese-steak sub
from downtown Middletown. For
variety at home she depends on a freezer
supply of microwave dinners.
"Egg on croissant, that's all I
ever get," said a bleary-eyed student
teacher, another part-time eater. "And
milk and coffee."
What of the students who eat at
the Lion's Den every day?
"I try new things there," said a
cheerful finance major. He rattled off a
list of hot meals that he ate regularly.
Not bad for someone who ate no red
meats. Even for sandwiches he had
choices, either tuna salad or a cheese
sub.
• SPAM 5° 4
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"And two coffees every day.
And Tastykake pies and pecan pies. I eat
one of those pies every day," he said
with a smile. "Always."
Another familiar cafeteria face
said he prepared his own meals back at
his apartment. Breakfast/lunch might be
"cereal, or hamburger, or tomato soup."
For dinner, "canned meats are
convenient, like Vienna sausage or
Spam." He must share a kitchen with a
spice-orientedvegetarian. "But there are
no problems," he said.
For beverages, he depends on
powdered mix, because it keeps well. "I
tried a half-gallon of milk, but it went
bad." Had he tried a small size? "No,
probably the same thing would happen."
What about fruits and
vegetables? "Oh yeah, sure. Yeah.
Fruits and vegetables. I had some
apples..." His thoughts drifted away as
he drained the last of his canned Coke.
According to Hary Pitman,
master of the Lion's Den grill, the meal
most students consistently count on is a
cheeseburger. "Next come hamburgers
and of course french fries," she said.
Pitman said some young
students object to "food that's been
sitting around. They want to see it
cooked right there, in front of them."
A student waiting at the grill
said, "With a cheeseburger and fries, you
know what to expect. It's not like
risking two bucks on the shrimp
casserole. And it's nice to have
something you can depend on."
-Devil Dogs and Spam
Food. It's something we all
need to exist. If we don't eat, we'll
perish. However, it's amazing some
students at the Capital College are still
alive considering the food they eat.
After conducting an extensive
survey of Penn State Harrisburg
students, I've come to the conclusion
that we're in trouble.
What's the food of champions
for breakfast? Is it Wheaties? Oatmeal?
No, it's Poptarts. You know, those
flat, sugar everywhere "tarts" you "pop"
in the toaster? At Capital, they're
number one.
Other foods high or, the
breakfast list were: Eggo waffles,
Fruitloops, Wheaties (thank goodness, a
little nutrition), bagels and eggs.
It's worthy to note that
everyone surveyed said they don't always
eat a breakfast. One girl said she never
eats breakfast. So much for the
important meal of the day.
After a grueling morning of
classes and demanding professors,
everyone eats a well-balanced lunch,
right?
Not necessarily. Hamburgers
and french fries are number one on the
hit parade.
Suppertime! On to bigger and
better things, right? Well maybe...
Two commuting students said
they "eat a hot and well-balanced meal".
Mom makes it for them. However,
what about our poor, starving students
in Meade Heights? They have to slave
over a hot stove for themselves after a
full day of classes.
And slave they do. If there's
any hope for this generation, it lies with
supper. After a full day of nutritional
reckless abandon and throwing cares to
the wind in Vendorville (you know, the
room adjacent to the Lion's Den with
assorted vending machines), the students
at Penn State Harrisburg eat well.
freaks. Snack addicts. An examination
of today's students readily reveals that
the eating habits of the students of the
Eighties are as varied as the types of
individuals who populate our colleges
and universities. Although this
hodgepodge of students creates a varied
and completely unpredictable student
menu, a strong majority of college
students fall into the category of
undeniable junk food junkies.
The typical diet of an average
young student would repulse any
respectable dietitian or nutritionist.
Andrea Holloway, a sophomore at
Temple University, is a prime example.
"My favorite foods are pizza, popcorn,
Frito's, and peanut M&M's," she said,
"but on the weekends I really like to pig
out." Greasy fried foods such as
cheeseburgers and french fries also top
the list of student favorites, making fast
food joints like McDonald's popular
eating spots. "Sometimes we go out to
Denny's in the middle of the night to get
mozzarella sticks, french fries, fried
clams, and lots of coffee," said Jim
Blank, a junior at Philadelphia College
of Textiles and Sciences.
Caffeine is another important
aspect of the busy student's life,
especially when it comes to writing a
paper or cramming for an exam.
Chocolate, colas, and tea are chosen by
some students for energy, but an
overwhelming number of college-goers
are admitted caffeine addicts. "I drink
lots of coffee," said Blank, "all day long
if it's available to me."
Many innocent students fall
prey to the irresistible metal monster--
the vending machine. These machines
offer a myriad of salty and sugary snacks
to any passerby with even the slightest
twinge of hunger. "I usually get corn
chips, Tootsie Rolls, Milky Ways, or
Pepsi from the vending machines," said
Cathy Feuerstein, a sophomore at Bucks
County Community College, "but
sometimes I get Minute Maid orange
soda, just for the vitamin C." Who said
students weren't concerned with
nutrition?
"Fattening" is the word for food
served in the campus dining hall,
according to an informal survey of 30
female juniors and seniors at Penn State,
Harrisburg, campus.
The females surveyed have lived
in dormitories their entire academic life.
The majority of the women gained an
average of 10 pounds since their fresh
man year of dormitory living.
A recent survey conducted at
Stanford University by Dr. Melbourne
F. Hovell, shows that young women
who live at a university gain an average
of eight pounds their first year of school
and may not lose the weight until well
into their junior year, if ever.
Weight gain can be attributed to
a number of causes, says Dr. Hovell.
These may include suddenly changing
lifestyles, free access to university meal
service and communal eating, which
encourages staying at the table for long
periods of time.
One senior said, "The cafeteria
offers a variety of desserts every day.
They offer ice cream, cake and pie. I am
not exposed to this type of temptation at
home. At school, I usually can't resist
dessert"
Another woman said, "The cafe
teria foods are high in starch and fat. I
must look at the menu for the week and
plan my meals to avoid too much fat in
my diet"
"I've learned to center most o
my meals around the salad bar. The
vegetables in the cafeteria are always
overcooked," said a junior.
Those who will not be livin
in a dorm, according to Dr. Hovell, have
a much better chance of staying sli
during college. Anyone who avoids th
university meal service and its unlimited
number of seconds and thirds'policy an
the group-gorge atmosphere tends not
suffer excess poundage, the way the on
campus women do.
College schedules affect meal
time and diet, according to eight Penn
State Capital College students.
During individual interviews,
eight students in various majors
explained how class schedules, studying,
and other school related activities limit
the time, regularity, and quality of their
meals.
Three meals a day is a rarity for
these students. All admitted to eating
only one or two meals a day. Education
major Denise Van Briggle, 33, a
commuter with a schedule that leaves her
little time between classes, said, "I rarely
have breakfast in the morning. I
sometimes just have a bag of pretzels, or
something like that for lunch. I have a
night class, so often, I'll feed my family
and won't eat--and it causes me to eat
late at night--and often the wrong
things."
Eating on the run seems to be a
frequent student practice. Most of the
so-called meals that these students talked
about are actually quick snacks between
classes. Business and communications
student Ronda Graby, 21, said during her
interview, "I have eaten one meal so far
today. I ate pickles."
Tastykake and Drake's pastries
serve similar functions. Public policy
major Mark Keisling, 28, said, "I very
often find myself eating chocolate
cupcakes with creamy stuff in them, in
lieu of a meal, because they're around
and they're good."
One student, mechanical
engineering major David Bradley, 21, is
affected in a different way. He does not
eat quick snacks, because he is on the
pre-paid meal plan at the dorm cafeteria,
where he eats most of his meals. He
said, "For me to eat what I like, it would
cost me more." But the cafeteria does
not always regulate his eating schedule.
Often he "bags" a meal, if it is one
which he knows will be "raunchy."
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Most students living in the
dorms are limited financially, and are left
with few alternatives to the cafeteria.
Finance major Kris Hansen, 21, said she
eats such foods as noodles, instant soup,
and fast food from Hardee's, because "it's
all I can get, it's all I can afford." She
also said she rarely eats in the cafeteria,
since it is not open when she is hungry.
The limited serving hours of
the dorm cafeteria, 1 lam to Ipm for
lunch and 4pm to 6pm for dinner, also
pose a problem for a particular
psychology student. Melissa Wohrle,
21, said, "There are lots of times when
I'm really not hungry, but because I
don't want to miss the meal, or I don't
have money to go out to dinner, I'll just
go there and eat."