Natalie's Blog

The Table Tango

by Natalie Veltman

Sometimes after I get my food at the Alferd Packer Grill, I find myself wandering around the dining room in search for a place to sit. First I go to one table that looks encouraging, only to find that someone else is using it. Suddenly, I see another option, only to have someone sit down just before I arrive. As I watch the steam cease to rise from my soup, I start to become discouraged as my options grow smaller by the table.

One day, after a bit of the table tango, I decided to search elsewhere. When I see students standing while eating their Panini, it’s time to think about other options. To my delighted surprise, after walking up the stairs, tray in hand, there were tons of quiet, empty seats! I settled in, got out my laptop, checked my e-mail and enjoyed my lunch in the quiet serenity of the 3rd floor. Then it dawned on me - if I hadn’t ever thought of eating up here before, most students probably hadn’t considered it either. So I explored some more…

Did you know that there are lounges on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th floors with comfy chairs and couches? And on sunny days, try eating on the 5th floor rooftop terrace – with great flatiron views! There are also laptops for checkout at the front desk (all you need is your Buff OneCard) and free wireless throughout the whole building. Instead of eating while standing or wandering aimlessly in search of a dining room spot, why not head on up to dine in comfort while going online?

The UMC is our place to eat, study and hang out. While the 1st floor dining area is huge, the number of students grabbing a bite to eat around 12-2 is even bigger! So next time you feel yourself swimming in a sea of students with no seat in sight, head on upstairs to dine in comfort! Please take your plates and silverware back down when you’re done.