I lived in Knowlton Residential during my freshman semester at UMass. It was situated in a nice location, not far from my classes, right by the bus stop, and just a couple of steps from Worcester Dining. UMass constantly boasts about its number 1 dining, so it was one of the reasons I chose to go here. I was so happy to see that I would get to live in such a convenient dining location. As I was an absolute sloth and glutton during my first semester in college, that was a dream come true.
Naive little me did not realize that if it was convenient for me, it would be convenient for everyone else as well. I would be fighting through crowds and lines just to get a half-full bowl of pho. Don’t get me wrong, I love and respect all the staff that keep UMass Dining running, this is
simply a complaint from a hangry student who needs to get to class in 10’. I would follow the livestream to see when the crowd started to dissipate and went to lunch at awkward times, like 3 PM, to get a table to myself. All I wanted was to eat my fried rice and ribs while watching a
Netflix docuseries. It was my recharging ritual, and Woo makes it harder to enjoy.
In my second semester, I went to the Charles River Campus (formerly the Mount Ida Campus) and practically got a booth to myself for every meal I had. It was quiet and calm, an amazing way to recharge after my internship days. But did I miss Woo? A little. We did not have as big a selection in the CRC. And there were no lines for me to space out in. Strangely I missed “ZooMass” and the chaos that accompanies it.
When I came back to the Amherst campus, I aimed to expand my horizon by exploring the options UMass has to offer, something I had failed to do during my first year. I took new classes in new buildings which opened me up to different sides of campus, and with it, new dining commons and cafes. I tried quesadillas from Roots Cafe, fell asleep in line at Blue Wall, and – of course – rewarded myself with delectable waffles from Hamp. I went to Late Night with the club water polo team at Berk and listened intently to my friends rave about Frank. I became a regular at People’s Market (I make a BOMB caramel matcha) and broadened my palate at Earthfoods (and other student-run businesses, please support them!).
People say ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder.’ But they forget to add that the return from absence might not be so pretty. After my bout of exploration, I still could not shake the connection I had to my dining hall. I live off-campus now and I rely on the PVTA bus system to get to and from campus. The most convenient dining commons on the bus line is, you guessed it, Woo! This semester, my fourth, I gave myself a packed schedule to pursue the 4+1 Master’s Program, so I would only get around one hour to eat during the lunch rush. I lost the ability to choose a time to leisurely enjoy my meal. It is all “Go, Go, Go” now and I completely forgot to slow down and take in my surroundings.
In a way, the lines were comforting. I was hungry, yes, but because of that, I distracted myself by surveying the details of Woo. I was people-watching while waiting. I noticed the joy on people’s faces when dining with friends, the way the kitchen worked like a well-oiled machine, and how my food was almost ready… The occasional clapping when a dish is shattered (a bit rude if you ask me) shows how small ‘events’ bond strangers in strange ZooMass ways. Experiencing Woo with my newfound appreciation for UMass’ diverse dining options gave me a deeper connection to the one-of-a-kind nature of the best college dining in the country (this is not sponsored, I just love eating).
