CHOW TIME
November 18, 2013 by Elizabeth Semko

Unless you consider Easy Mac and Ramen made in the social lounge microwave to be your daily meal of choice, you're most likely going to find yourself in the cafeteria at one point or another. Otherwise known as MUC among SIUE students (pronounced "muck," short for Morris University Center), it is the prime location for socializing watching the best - and worst - music videos to date on TV screens hung all around the room. But is it the ideal place for curbing your appetite?

"If you like heat lamps, it's awesome," senior Joe Young joked.

Unlike some universities that consist of a general cafeteria buffet every day, MUC is broken up into different cuisines and restaurants. Chick-fil-A and Pizza Hut are more well-known options, but MUC also consists of Mexican food, a burger joint, a knock-off Subway, a Chinese grill, a soup and salad bar, a pasta bar and an "Entrees" station that features a different meal every day. There is also a section reserved for fruit, desserts and breakfast items, such as bagels and cereal. SIUE students agree that the food options are not all to be treated equally, as freshman Natty Ledesma quickly discovered.

"Don't eat the tortellini alfredo every day," Ledesma said. Young agreed that it gets old after a while, but sophomore Zach Fischer noted that some of the food is worth eating regularly.

"The Wok doesn't get old after a while though. I'd go there every day," Fischer said of the popular Chinese option.

If you're hurrying to class, Wok is definitely not the quickest choice - it usually has a line when it's open. If you're sprinting past during lunch (11 a.m. - 1 p.m. or so), that is the case for almost all of MUC. Senior Andrew Franks knows how to avoid going to class on empty despite the rush:

"I would tell them to go to Skywalk," Franks advised. The mini cafeteria can be found in the breezeway between Founders and Alumni Hall. It gets generally high reviews from students, like graduate student Kelsey Borg.

"Skywalk has the best nachos and they're under $5, and they load them like none other," Borg said. Senior Jason Scott agreed.

"Skywalk has descent Chinese food. I'll grab that every now and then, too," Scott said. Other quick alternatives to the main cafeteria in MUC include Auntie Anne's Pretzels, Starbucks and Freshens, a sandwich and smoothie bar located in the Student Fitness Center.

If you're not in a hurry and are looking for something a step closer to home cooking, try Fixins, located on the top floor of the Morris University Center. Previously known as the University Restaurant, customers are waited on and have options between menu items and a buffet. Bonus: meal plans also cover the costs.

Most students living in university housing have some form of a meal plan, which is pre-paid money loaded onto your student ID (also known as your Cougar Card). Students can choose from a variety of meal plan options, and the card can be used to pay for food anywhere on campus (not counting some vending machines). If you're a freshman living on campus and university food is your main source of nourishment, you will have one of the two larger plans that come with a discount known as 60/40. The fraction represents the price your meal would regularly cost in comparison to the amount you will pay with the discount. If you find yourself running out of money towards the end of the year, you can always add more money to your card. However, many students, such as senior Justin Rinehimer, haven't faced this issue.

"I end up finishing the semester with $400 or $500 left on my plan," Rinehimer said. Students receive a partial refund if they do not use all their meal plan money by the end of the regular school year. "It's pretty ridiculous. As soon as you can, don't do the 60/40."

College food, no matter where you go to school, will never meet your grandmother's cooking standards. But if you know where and when to go to get your fill, you can spend less time thinking about your next meal, and more time doing everything that makes college so fun (or catching up on that paper you've been procrastinating).

Bon appétit!