Welcome to the big red brick sorority house
Welcome to my crib — Chi Omega. Back in September of my freshman year, I became a part of my sorority chapter and this year as a sophomore, I’ve gotten the crazy, fun experience of living in the house. Like any living situation, it has its pros and cons, but one of the most notable features is the eating arrangements. Let me walk you through a typical week of eating in the srat house.
Snacks on snacks
Every week we're provided with nine meals which include lunch and dinner Monday through Thursday, and brunch on Fridays. On the weekend you basically fend for yourself by going out to eat or chowing on some cereal for every meal. (Been there, done that). For breakfast, we don’t have prepared meals but we are provided with various foods in the fridge and pantry. My personal fave is whipping up some microwave scrambled eggs and grabbing a yogurt to go. The pantry also has a generous supply of snacks to grab for the day.
Meals on meals
Lunch is served from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. and dinner is served from 5 – 6 p.m. We have different parts of the meal set out in heated trays on the tables, so it’s buffet-style. For every meal we have a full salad bar and a variety of fruit. They will often have different drinks like infused water, lemonade, or if we're really lucky — chai tea lattes. Every night after dinner there is a dessert available, and lemme tell ya they go fast. Some of my favorite meals have been orange chicken, honey teriyaki salmon, and basically any meal including avocado.
How it works
To sign up for meals we use an app called Campus Cooks. Here you can click whether you’ll be there for the meal or if you need a “late plate” where they will provide you with the meal in a seperate to-go box in the fridge to eat later. On these late plates you can also write a comment and indicate any special preferences for the meal. Since I love salad like nobody’s business, the chefs have become masters at giving me salad late plates when I ask for them.
Food and friendship
Kaitlyn Bentivegna, a sister also living in the house, said along with the awesome meals, her favorite part of eating at the house is how “it creates the chance for us to all come together at the kitchen tables and bond over talking about our days together. It’s definitely a huge part of how I’ve gotten to know other girls in the house.” She said next year when she lives out of the house she’s going to miss the convenience of having delicious food already prepared.
Chefs' perspective
Our chefs, Troy and Dylan, are very accommodating to special requests and different diets. Every week they put up a “Meal Requests” paper and they take these requests into account when planning the meals for the next week. Our head chef, Troy, said his favorite part about being a chef for Chi Omega has been the environment. “I love the flexibility of working with this house. I like how it is different from most other chef jobs because it allows me to construct the weekly meal plans and be creative in that way.”
Catering to 200 sorority girls
The chefs are great about catering to all of the different food preferences. With each meal, they provide different options for dietary restrictions such as vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free. As a nutrition major, I especially appreciate how balanced the meals are and how these different dietary restrictions are taken into account.
V blessed by the best
I am very thankful to have yummy, nutritious meals and awesome chefs. I am definitely going to miss the gourmet meals by Chef Troy and Dylan! Here’s to hoping Chef Mackenzie can survive eating on her own next year. Stay tuned...