Dear SOS,
I'm a sophomore living in Wilson House this year,
which is located smack in the middle of campus. When it comes time to eat, my roommates and I can never decide on which dining hall to go to. Some people have claimed that one is better for a certain meal or day of the week, but I just want to know which one truly reigns: Dewick or Carmichael?
Sincerely,
Distressed Diner
Dear Distressed Diner,
You bring up a salient point regarding the dining halls' redeeming qualities by day of the week (Caesar salad night at Carmichael is a wholly underappreciated phenomenon) and by meal (three words: brunch at Dewick).
But there is only one reigning dining hall at Tufts. As a good friend and fellow uphill resident once said after a week-long dearth of downhill contact, "Dewick rules the world."
Even ignoring its near-perfect location, Dewick has many superior qualities. They are as follows:
1. Sweets: Dewick wins the battle with its recent acquisition of Nutella. In addition, Dewick's sweetener section boasts an ever-present supply of Splenda, whereas Carmichael often forces diners to use "Sweet-Plus," or to pick up the embarrassing habit of bringing one's own sweetener supply (making one feel like a 96-year-old woman).
2. Machinery: Dewick has four Belgian waffle-makers; Carmichael has two. Dewick has two panini-makers; Carmichael, zero. Dewick has three toasters; Carmichael, one. When a friend pointed this out on the Carmichael suggestion board, the reply was that "Carmichael lacks sufficient space and outlets to change such a problem." It's funny; that's what I told myself while contemplating whether or not I could fit a moon bounce in my room. But it didn't stop me.
3. Salad bar: Maybe I'm overcompensating for a lack of nutrients, but since coming to college, I have developed an obsession with tomato slices. Not chunks, not cherry tomatoes, but ripe, quarter-inch slices of fresh tomato.
With the occasional addition of mozzarella shavings, they make the perfect accompaniment to any breakfast food, and Dewick keeps them readily available. Plus, Dewick's salad bar cannot physically be likened to a cage, unlike that of another, inferior dining hall.
4. Carbs: Dewick, maybe due to its sheer proximity to Hodgdon, almost always has a variety of wraps available for personalized wrapping (or should I call it freestyling?), whereas Carmichael rarely has any on days that don't involve makeshift fajitas. Dewick also has its own bagel hut. Enough said.
5. Celeb status: Lastly, Dewick is the place to be, due to its multi-faceted notions of celebrity-like caché. First of all, they serve Hpnotiq, a drink characterized by its mesmerizing blue hue and favored by a multitude of A-list rappers, in the same containers as they do lemonade.
Second, seating arrangements. Yes, Carmichael has its own virtual catwalk, but Dewick can boast a VIP upstairs area and an actual stage.
Lastly, the tray collector at Dewick is has some qualities similar to a set of turntables. It actually revolves (unlike the one at Carmichael), and some sort of smooth hip-hop beat usually emanates from the room behind. Although I did once hear the strains of Soulja Boy's "Crank Dat" coming from the DJ station (ahem, tray collector) at Carmichael, which almost made me reevaluate my opinion entirely.
Contact Charlotte to get advice for all your problems at Charlotte.Steinway@tufts.edu.
