Sadler Center overcrowding, boredom, social isolation: we hear so much about these problems around this campus. I am not the first Flat Hat contributor to touch on these issues, and I will surely not be the last.
However, the solution to all of these problems is simpler than it may appear: we should all just be more willing to dine with other people.
While dining in larger groups wouldn’t fix the space shortage entirely, it would help remove some of the pressure. I can’t even think of how many times I find that the tables in Sadler are occupied by only one or two people but are still technically full. I imagine other people have noticed the same problem. Group dining would help fix this problem: by ensuring that each four-person table is occupied by four people, more people would be able to find space to sit down. It’s just basic math.
Next, boredom. Sometimes it can feel like there’s not that much to do. While clubs and other organizations help with this, there are still plenty of times where the mind can struggle to find proper preoccupation, and I have found lunch to be one of those times. Sitting down to eat can be a moment for quiet contemplation that sometimes inspires great ideas (how do you think I came up with the idea to write this?) but other times it can just feel like too little is happening. By talking to other people, however, you have given yourself something to do that can certainly provide additional mental stimulation, should any be needed.
But let’s say you’re content to just sit off to the side and listen to podcasts or scroll on your phone, as I have found myself doing from time to time. This is not devoid of value, in moderation, but when it is done constantly, this can contribute to one of the leading issues of our time: social isolation. Much digital ink has been spilled (including in this newspaper) writing about the “male loneliness epidemic” and other such phenomena, and the biggest contributor to that absolutely has to be the fact that we now spend most of our time buried in our phones instead of talking to people. While sitting with someone does not automatically lead to putting the phone down (I can attest to that fact), trying to strike up a conversation with the person sitting just across from you is a way to form meaningful connections with other members of the campus community and get outside of your bubble.
Those of you reading this who have large friend groups might already be doing this, but a hypothetical reader who lacks a sizable social circle (someone for whom eating with others would be especially important) is probably wondering how they can find people to grab lunch with. That solution is also simple: you can eat with people you don’t know. It may not always be desirable, but it can help form new connections and meaningful relationships.
For example, I myself was recently able to sit down for a meal with a fellow Flat Hatter who has done wonderful art for my previous opinion pieces. While I may have not met her beforehand (although I had sent her a few emails telling her that I appreciated her work), I found her to be incredibly personable, and the encounter was the highlight of my day.
In many ways, what I’m proposing is not an entirely new idea, just not one native to America: my brother-in-law is an immigrant from Ethiopia, and in his birth country, it is common for strangers to sit and talk with each other in restaurants as they eat. I think there’s something we can learn from that, and I wouldn’t mind seeing that normalized on our campus.
I hope I’ve made my case for dining with others. Who knows? The person you sit down with for a meal may even be yours truly. In any event, I hope you give it a shot. I think it’ll be worth your while.
