With the school year coming to an end, I thought it would be fitting to pay homage to all the different tastes, flavours, and smells that the food at Communal has provided us with over the years. The different buffet options nicely laid out in the cafeteria every Wednesday evening has given on-campus students something to look forward to. But now the year is over and, sadly, we must say goodbye to Communal food.
From the dinner rolls to the roasted veggies, to the questionable meat options and gluten-free alternatives, I think it would be an understatement to say that Communal has it all—especially when it comes to the meat!
It’s always a fun guessing game to wonder what kind of meat you are eating. The colourful variety is always exciting and one of the best parts about Communal. Forget the community aspect, the fellowship, the desserts, cupcakes, cookies, and ice cream—it’s the food that we come for! I asked a few students about their own experiences, and they had this to say about Communal:
“Communal is always pleasantly surprising, because I go in with low expectations. I really appreciate the diversity in the food offerings we sometimes have, like Greek or Mexican… that’s pretty cool.” — Anonymous student
“Communal is a great time to bond with other students, it’s a great time to socialize and catch up and it’s really nice to get a break from cooking.” — Anonymous student
“I really appreciate the meat offerings that Communal has. It’s especially surprising when I cut into it and it’s pink.” — Anonymous student
“There’s just something about it. I feel like it’s either a miss or tolerable. So it’s never a hit. It’s quite… I don’t know. Whenever I go—you expect it to be a pleasurable experience when you’re eating food—I have been here for three years and it’s the same every year. I’m ashamed that my opinion doesn’t change about it. My opinion has just gone on a projectable downward trend. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m pretty sure it’s the food. Especially when they serve chicken. It’s pink and rubbery. I just can’t deal with it.” — Anonymous student
“What’s the deal with half the drinks in the cooler being warm? You expect something cold but it’s just lukewarm. What the heck is that? It’s not so much that I want to be at Communal, it’s just a drop in the bucket at this point when you’re spending twenty dollars a week on it, it’s just the hit you gotta take—like a necessary evil.” — Anonymous student.
“It’s twenty dollars a week!?? It should be like five bucks; that food sucks!” — Anonymous student.
“The caesar salad is good and the garlic knots are good.” — Anonymous student.
“One good thing about Communal is when they put out the frozen ice cream… But everything else is just… [redacted]!” — Anonymous student.
With so many different opinions on the Communal food, I think it’s safe to say that Communal is… colourful. It’s exciting, it’s different every time, and you never know what to expect. At times, even I don’t have all the words to describe it.. It’s just… Communal.
Communal, what a year it has been. On behalf of the Redeemer students living on campus, we thank you for never harming a single student, no matter how interesting the meals have been.