The following represents the opinion of the student reporter and does not represent the views of Loyola University Maryland, the Greyhound, or Loyola University’s Department of Communication.
My fellow Greyhounds and I were delighted to see the Chinese station make a comeback this year when we returned to the Evergreen campus. Don’t want to aimlessly walk around Boulder searching for the perfect lunch? Stop by the Chinese food station. Tired of eating the same sandwich every day from the deli? Grab some chicken, tofu, or shrimp. Want to one-up your friends’ Boulder 2.0 salads and yogurt? Bring a to-go box up from Boulder filled with egg rolls and wonton chips. It was the most consistent meal option that the Garden Café offered.
On Sept. 30, tragedy struck when Loyola Dining posted the following to their Instagram account: “Our first Crafted rotation is coming to a close! Starting Monday (Oct. 3) Eastern Garden will be switching to Boulder-Q. Boulder-Q is a barbeque station with pulled chicken, pulled pork, mac & cheese, baked beans, and more!”. Students are demanding to know why Boulder removed Loyola’s comfort food from its menu.
Most Loyola Dining posts average anywhere between zero to three comments. Their post about the Chinese food debacle garnered 17. The comments were flooded with students earnestly begging Loyola Dining to keep the Chinese station.
Claire Marino ‘24 commented what everyone was thinking: “This is the worst day of my life.” I reached out to Claire so that she could expand on that sentiment, and she expressed the fact that she and several of her peers eat Chinese food every day at Boulder. To lose this hidden gem on campus is truly a travesty.
I was the bearer of bad news for Johnathon Lovo ‘23. When I informed him that the Chinese food station shut down, his jaw dropped to the floor, and he brandished a distraught look on his face. I asked him if he had any great memories of Boulder Chinese food.
“One of my friends said we should order Chinese food the other day. So we went over [to Boulder] and to his surprise, it was great,” Lovo said. “Not only was it good food, but we also saved some money too. I’m going to miss that.” Lovo isn’t the only student missing the food.
Ethan O’Reilly ‘23 said, “Boulder Chinese food is the only reason why I get up in the morning. Without it…I’m not even going to go to class. There’s no point.” While the downfall of Loyola Dining leaves us at rock bottom, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The Crafted Boulder station runs on a rotational schedule and students hope to see the Chinese station make a comeback in the near future.
To temporarily satiate students’ cravings, Loyola Dining’s Instagram notified Greyhounds that their Chinese food would be offered on Oct. 6 at Iggy’s, and Oct. 9 in Boulder. The post was again met with pushback from several students pleading with Loyola Dining to permanently keep the station. Clearly, this temporary reprieve is not sufficient for Loyola. Until the warm light illuminating chicken, broccoli, and rice shines on students again, Greyhounds shall live in darkness surrounded by pulled pork and cornbread.
Featured Image Courtesy of Peter Hope
