If a “Stuff Emory Freshmen Say” video is ever made, one thing it must include is freshmen throwing a tantrum and yelling, “The DUC food is so nasty; I can’t take it anymore!” In the past month, I’ve heard this statement, or similar ones, repeatedly from numerous freshmen. Frankly, it vexes me a bit everytime I hear it.

I honestly have had more days when I enjoyed the DUC food as opposed to when I sat with my friends, looking at the food with murderous stares, and complained about it. I will go even further to say that since August 25th, I have not had a single day when I was unable to tolerate the food at the DUC.

It is quite obvious that my view does not resonate with the majority of Emory freshmen, or even all students. A common question upperclassmen ask me is whether I am tired and sick of the DUC food yet.

In the end, it all boils down to perception. When I sit down to eat at the DUC, images of greasy yellow pizzas, half-cooked patties from burgers, and other unpleasant, and perhaps inedible, food from high school comes to mind.

It suddenly makes sense for me to appreciate the food here after comparing it to the food available at my high school.

Taste is perhaps the most subjective of all the senses. I was relieved to discover that I was not the only freshman who felt the food at the DUC was not disgusting. At a dinner last week, Freshman Angel Hsu boldly declared, “I feel as if this is the first time in my life I’m enjoying eating!”

Yes, I can understand the frustration of many students as they are paying a fortune (at least in my eyes) for the meal plans, and the food is not quite equivalent to that of a five-star restaurant.

Is the food really that bad? Are we ever satisfied with what we have? Next time you sit there, with plates of food in front of you, please take a brief moment to think about those who would die to eat what you are throwing away.

I want to make it very clear that in praising, or at least appreciating, the DUC food, I am solely focused on the taste of the food, and not the nutrition of the food. Various arguments could be made concerning the unhealthy food at the DUC. I would much rather hear complaints about the nutrition of the food instead of the taste of it.

And, for those of you who are wondering, the answer is no.

No one from the DUC paid me to write this.

Rifat Mursalin is a College Freshman from Atlanta, Georgia.

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