Fridged temps cause students to second guess walk to the cafeteria for food

By Sam Bailey / Editor In Chief

“Walking in a winter wonderland” isn’t just an iconic line in Frank Sinatra’s song “Winter Wonderland”, but is what dorm students at Hutchinson Community College had to debate doing to get food from the cafeteria, as record-low temperatures swept the midwest the past week.

Students living in the residence halls largely rely on the campus cafeteria to eat their meals, and the nearly 10-minute walk from their rooms can be a frigid task in freezing weather.

These temperatures cause many students to find alternative food sources, especially when classes were cancelled like they were Feb. 15-16.

“I mostly stayed in my apartment and ate what I had on hand, because I didn’t want to get out in the cold,” said Montezuma sophomore Victoria Powell.

Powell lives in the Dragon’s Landing apartments off campus, so she has more supplies to make food than the average dorm resident.

Dorm resident and Derby sophomore Kylee Dunn said when she doesn’t have class, she mainly goes to get food outside of the cafeteria.

“It depends on if I have ramen here, or I usually go to a drive-thru,” Dunn said.
While dorm students have a meal plan through the cafeteria on campus, they also have access to $150 worth of food from Papa John’s per semester that they can have delivered to the dorms. This money comes from students’ allotted Dragon Dollars.

This allows for students to get food without driving or walking to the cafeteria.

Many out-of-state students don’t have cars at the dorms and have to walk, or get a ride from someone if they want to get food and not spend extra money for services like DoorDash. The delivery service from Papa John’s can be a game changer.

“I order Papa John’s about every week or every other week,” Powell said. “I would probably be more inclined to order it if it were cold, so that I would not have to leave my apartment.”

Many students use their Dragon Dollars at Papa John’s regardless of the weather.

When asked if she orders Papa Johns and if she uses it more when it’s cold, Dunn said, “Yes, I order it when it sounds good.”

Cold temperatures can make finding food for college students a daunting task and many dread the walk to the cafeteria in intolerable weather.

The long walk to the cafeteria has even led to the discussion of what it would be like to have the cafeteria closer to the dorms.

“Since I live in the Dragon’s Landing apartments, it would almost be more inconvenient for me if the caf were in the dorms, but for the dorm students (the majority of students in the res hall) it would be much easier,” Powell said.

When asked if she would eat at the cafeteria more often were it in the dorms, Dunn said, “For sure, it would be a lot more convenient.”

Being able to have a full cafeteria in the dorms may not be possible, but the idea of having food available in the dorms is still a nice thought many wish was a reality, especially when it’s well below 0 degrees Fahrenheit outside.

While the walk to the cafeteria can seem like a trip that simply isn’t worth it, there are options available to students who wish to eat other food. A Papa John’s pizza may sound gourmet compared to the long trek across campus to the cafeteria.

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