If you haven’t heard the news, Rutgers has laid out plans to change several aspects of the campus over the next few decades. One of these drastic alterations includes a new dining hall for College Avenue. Not renovated or refurbished; they’re talking about demolishing and rebuilding. No more Brower.
There’s been an uprising of conflicting emotions. Some love Brower and others loathe it. Regardless, all of us have had to sacrifice some amount of time there, whether it’s three square meals a day or once in a while. Whether you love it or hate it, you’ll definitely be able to recognize these common quirks we picked up on.
16. The Constant Overstaffing
Photo by Nooreen Ismail
You know exactly what it looks like, 4-5 staff members congregating in any and every free corner of the place. Anyone with common sense has definitely wondered why they choose to have twice the necessary amount of people on each shift. It’s also easy to imagine how simple a job there would be.
15. The Untouched Pizza Wall
Photo by Nooreen Ismail
You may have thought about it. You may have walked by and glanced at it while heading for a drink or stir-fry. All that matters is that you’ve never touched it.
14. Thelma
Photo by Nooreen Ismail
She’s brightened your day. If you have the choice, you know you’re walking to her to swipe you in. She may have her off days, but we forgive her. We also love her occasional hats.
13. Always Hearing the Solid Jams, and Having Them Somehow Be Relevant To Your Day
Photo courtesy of IMGArcade
Whether it’s an 80s song blasting at Brower, a love song, or something totally different, you know you’re always finding yourself vibing to the music. You’ve caught other workers and students in the act. Some hide it, while others shake it out like nobody’s watching.
12. Being Able To Find a Seat (Unlike Livi)
Photo by Nooreen Ismail
Nothing is more annoying than getting your food and having nowhere to sit. Well, if that’s not annoying, maybe taking your first bite and realizing it’s already cold is. Livingston Dining Hall (also known simply as “Livi”) is notorious for its out-the-door lines and overcrowding, which always makes us grateful for Brower’s lower popularity.
11. Occasional Breaking of Dishes
Photo courtesy of PixGood
You know who you are. *Commence extreme blushing*
10. Trays (Unlike Livi)
Photo by Nooreen Ismail
The threat of dish-breaking is why we also love having trays. It’s unlikely that we need to juggle plates, which makes dining elsewhere challenging at times. We’re a bit spoiled, and residents of other campuses often pick up on this luxury.
9. Seeing College Avenue Gym Rats with Gallon Water Jugs
Bought a gallon of water. Found myself curling it the whole way home. #gymratproblems
— Gym Rat Problems (@GymRatProblems) May 10, 2013
I’m talking to you, semi-muscled male with sleeves cut to the shirt’s midriff hem. We know you work out. Also, if you didn’t notice, Brower serves water already. No need to bring your own. Were you really gonna finish that gallon in one workout session? We didn’t think so.
8. They Know They Can’t Be Fancy with the Food, and They Don’t Try
Photo by Nooreen Ismail
One thing about Brower is that it’s fully aware that it’s sub-par. Brower is not going to bother you with sad attempts at super fancy dishes. If you’ve been to Livi, you’re familiar with more extravagant dishes like “Corn Succotash” and “Vegan Asparagus Risotto.”
Brower knows that it can’t pull this off. It’s like a mom who can’t cook—it’ll provide you with previously frozen chicken fingers, and that’s about as far as it goes.
7. Using Salad Bar Chicken as Your Go-To When the Main Dishes Suck
Photo by Nooreen Ismail
At some point, we’ve all gotten up and said, “F*ck it, I’m getting chicken.” Sometimes it’s on point, sometimes it’s somewhere very far off. Hard to know what you’re getting into, but it’s usually safe and an easy replacement.
6. Ice Cream Waffle Creations as Your Entree
Photo by Danielle Naer
You’re guilty of it. Sometimes, those waffles just smell too damn good. Walking down the ramp, it’s hard to resist those air wafts of sweetness. So, we usually crack. Each munching usually concludes with “I need to go to the gym.”
5. Let’s Not Forget the Ice Cream Itself
Photo by Nooreen Ismail
The ice cream bar is to die for. For some reason, the ice cream quality seems to outdo the quality of all other Brower foods. You can always tell Brower got that investment right, and it never disappoints.
4. Sandwich Bar Always Being on Point
Photo by Nooreen Ismail
Brower’s sandwich bar also outdoes every other dining halls’ sandwich bar. Nothing is more disappointing than walking in on a weekend ready to craft your beautiful sub, then sadly remembering it’s only open on weekdays. The disappointment is infinite.
3. Occasional Serving of Fried Oreos
Photo courtesy of Created by Diane
You know the smell as soon as you walk in. You know it’s a good day when the Brower gods bless you with these. Just a touch of powdered sugar and you’re in your happy place. Good luck eating any of the real dinner when these are being served.
2. Location, Location, Location
Photo courtesy of whyrutgers.blogspot.com
No matter where you are on campus, Brower is easily accessible. At the heart of College Ave, it’s never a hike to get to. You sometimes contemplating the luxury of living in Stonier for the easiest access, but you’re not complaining.
1. Brower Breakfast
Photo by Danielle Naer
Waking up on a Sunday morning with last night’s makeup still crusting over your eyes and bad decisions looming over your mind is never a good feeling. Knowing Brower breakfast is waiting for you makes getting out of bed 30 times better.
You wish it served breakfast past 11 am on weekdays, but they know to serve it late on the weekend. For all of you rolling out of bed at 1 pm, Brower has your back.
Take a look at these before you leave: