What Do the RA's Think?

Another Interview with Allison

Today, I interviewed Mahala Proch. Mahala is a junior earning a double degree in psychology and news editorial. She is an RA, or resident advisor, for Buckingham Hall in the Kittregde community. Judging from our survey results, it seems as though most of the older students prefer the C4C. However, I wanted to see what an upperclassman thought that does get the opportunity to eat at the C4C on a daily basis. Our interview went as follows:

A: Overall, what do you think of the dining hall on the CU campus?
M: They have a lot of options. I also like that all the dining halls have a salad bar and fresh fruit out. All the people that work at the dining halls are really nice.

A:How often do you go to the C4C?
M: At least once a day, since I live in Buckingham. Otherwise I go to the Farrand grab n' go, and I eat at Libby for breakfast.

A: Is there more variety at the C4C or other dining halls?
M: C4C.

A: What was your impression of the C4C at the beginning of the year compared to now?
M: Since I'm an RA, I was one of the first groups of people that got to eat there, and we were really excited about it. I ate there a lot in the beginning. I was obsessed with it, and I thought it was great. Now I think the lines are too long, and all the food is deep fried.

A: Do you like the C4C the best, or do you prefer other dining halls on campus? Why?
M: I like the Go Fresh grab n' go at Farrand. The food is organic. There is not as much variety, but there are healthier options.

A: How do you choose where to eat?
M: If I have to work at the desk at the dorms I get grab n' go. If we have staff dinners we eat at the C4C since it is right by Buckingham.

A: Do you think your opinion of the C4C varies from another upperclassmen who does not eat at the C4C everyday?
M: Definitely. I use all my munch money swiping my friends in because they think it is so good.

A: Having eaten at the dining halls for three years now, what do you like most about them, and what do you think could be improved upon?
M: They are convenient. I don't have to worry about doing my own dishes or cooking my own food. Being an RA, I get to eat for free. I know that I am going to eat fruits or vegetables at least once at every meal. If I had to cook for myself, I would probably eat cereal all the time.

A: What would change your opinion of the C4C?
M: I think that way too much money was spent on building it. I think it is an absurd amount of money that could have been spent another way. I think it could have been used to renovate the Rec Center.

A: How have you learned to eat healthy at the dining halls, and what advice would you give to a freshmen?
M: Watch portion size. I also eat slowly and make sure I have a colorful plate so I know I'm getting a balanced meals. If I have carbs at one meal, I'll eat meat at the next.

A Graphic Analysis: Survey Results

All three of us gave out a total of 124 surveys, spanning five years of student years: freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, and graduate.

At first glance, it looks like an overwhelming number of freshmen preferred the C4C compared to the other grades. However, the balance of the number of each year was off depending on how we distributed them. It makes more sense to look at the results individually according to Allison's, Christina's, and Sierra's results. Each of us found huge outliers of kids who didn't respond or could not respond because they didn't have a meal plan, so they are not included but do make up for the total number of surveys.