Let’s get to the point: you need to be a part of Spoon University at Purdue. What even is Spoon, you ask? We boast an online food publication that caters to every culinary desire and need of our generation. Our chapter at Purdue is composed of writers, photographers, videographers, and much more. But there’s one thing that unites us: it’s our love for food. Think you could be a good fit? Join our squad and be ready to set some goals… and eat food while you’re at it.
1. The Lafayette/West Lafayette area is gleaming with restaurants
Photo courtesy of Caroline T on yelp.com
If you look on a map, Lafayette and West Lafayette might not look busy like Chicago, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a good selection of restaurants, cafes, and bars to keep you busy while here. In fact, here’s an Ultimate Guide to Eating and Drinking at Purdue to show you what we got. Sure, there are the typical chain restaurants, but there are tons of great finds too, from hidden gems to tried-and-true faves every Boilermaker misses when they head home. Being a part of the Spoon family means that not only will you be an expert on all the restaurants on campus, you will be the go-to guru for friends across campus alike.
2. People will Know Your Name- Even if You Don’t Know Theirs
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Are you a little afraid of walking into your first class of the semester without knowing a single face? If you join Spoon Purdue, people will recognize your face well before you are familiar with theirs. You kicking ass as a contributor to so many articles, having such a large social media presence, and being involved in a seriously cool organization is gonna give you some street cred. So get those shades and a sun hat ready, cuz you might need to run away from a crazed fan or two.
3. You will be around people who live to eat, not the other way around
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The Spoon fam is more than just an organization. We meet together with the main objective of food, so liking to eat must be one of the qualifications at the start. We have so many members with all kinds of interests, so it never gets boring. Our members have thrown Gossip-Girl Style Brunches on a Budget, survived Silver Dipper Challenges, and are on the edge of trends like the Sushi Burrito Revolution.
4. What else is there to do at Purdue?
Photo courtesy of @sidneyg214 on Instagram
What are you supposed to do at Purdue? Study? Since you will be here for most of the year, it’s wise to be a part of an organization you can relate to and procrastinate with when you should be doing homework. It’s also nice to take a break from studying every now and then and focus on things that make you happy (like food). We are all in this whole college thing together, and you know what they say, all for one, and one for all. Except when there’s pizza on the table because that’s a different story….
5. Your resume will look that much nicer than the person next to you
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Having experience writing, advertising, and reaching out for a national organization is no small feat. Employers will surely see this on your resume and you could get bonus points for it. And either way, you’re gonna have some really cool references to refer to in case you ever need to fill out an application (that’s me).
6. Summer internships are pretty much guaranteed
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Worried you won’t be able to land a summer internship? No problem! At Spoon, we offer remote internships that allow you to write articles from home, and you can put it on your resume as experience! We are probably the only organization out there that allows people to work in their pajamas, so hit us up if you this sounds like an environment you could work in.
7. Make Friends. Be social.
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Let’s face it. It’s not always easy to make friends in college. But at Spoon, we are truly a family. We have social events, and not just with people on campus; starting this fall, we will be working with the teams from surrounding Universities, like IU to collaborate on some really good pieces. It’s cool we can reserve the IU hate for game day.
8. Our form of bonding is eating
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Spoon Purdue often goes on outings and we do activities that help strengthen our team. What would an food organization do to bond? Eating, of course. If you need someone to scour the best restaurants with, someone who will wake up on a Sunday to brunch with you, then we’ve got your back.
9. You’ll be up to date on all the latest food trends…
Photo courtesy of @xiangtrisha on Instagram
The coconut oil craze? Saw that coming. The rainbow bagel phenomenon? That too. Be the first to know about the latest trends, styles, and products in the world of food. What better place to get caught up on it all than Spoon University? We publish, read, and write countless articles a month. You never know- what you write about could become the next big thing.
10. …and you can impress your friends and family with all your culinary expertise too
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Yes, eating is an integral part of loving food- but so is cooking. Not only will you impress your friends and roommates with your fancy knife skills, you can show off your culinary prowess at home. I’m sure mom wouldn’t mind some help in the kitchen on Thanksgiving day.
11. Ever wondered how to make video shorts? We gotchu
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You know those short, albeit addictive, recipe shorts all over Facebook? We do that right here at Spoon and we are one of the few organizations to teach you specifically how to do that. Video shorts are a great way to gain instant fame and crowd your Instagram with followers. Don’t believe me? Take a look at these videos for smiley face french fries and food porn that’s NSFW. I rest my case.
12. And we have our own mememaker
Photo courtesy of @basicbrunches on Instagram
Yes. Troll the internet with one-of-a-kind memes that not only express our feelings about food (which is often hard to describe in words), but are great additions to articles, Facebook/Instagram posts, and pretty much everything that looks at life through a semi-serious lense. Plus, you have to admit, they are just really, really funny.
13. Taking pictures of food obsessively will be encouraged and rewarded
Photo courtesy of @miku_colors on Instagram
Here’s a new reason to buy that new Nikon DSLR. Good quality food pics are tough to come by, but a nice picture to put as the thumbnail of your article is worth the extra effort. Taking pictures of food will allow you to experience so much more in life. Order Insomnia cookies at 2 am? You need them strictly for the food pics. A reason to order a venti instead of a tall Mocha Frappe at Starbucks? Food pics. Want to justify your desire to study abroad? Food pics. We both know where this is going, and it’s safe to say that food pics are pretty important business.
14. Like Lists? We do too
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If you haven’t noticed, writers at Spoon love listicles. Gathering all this information, sorting it out, and associating numbers to it just makes us feel… productive. If you haven’t seen any listicles from us check out reasons why you should be a grateful Boilermaker, 9 things Purdue Dining Courts need right now, and 7 healthy swaps for your favorite childhood snacks. Put your listing abilities to good use and join the family. We list all day.
15. Why wouldn’t you want to eat food, take pictures of food, and write about food with people who are equally as food-obsessed as you?
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We know it takes a foodie to know a foodie. And sometimes, your foodie behavior tends to freak non-foodies out. Like taking a thousand pictures of your food at a restaurant while making sure the plating, lighting, and cutlery is placed perfectly. Or when you refuse to eat food unless it’s good food, regardless of how hungry you are. At Spoon, we get you. That’s why we’ve created a cult of foodies just like you. Are you interested in joining? Click here to request to join, and you will be on your way to a center for foodies to collaborate (aka the Krannert conference room).