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The Orion

Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion

Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion

Foreign Exchange: A whimsical tale of Sutter Dining

Published 2012-01-24T18:54:00Z”/>

opinion

Ben Hames

<em>Editor’s note: Ben Hames is an international exchange student from London, England. Every week, he will voice his opinions about the differences he sees at Chico State.</em>

As an international student, I was looking forward to my first meal in Sutter Dining and thus, one of my first insights into the world of American cuisine.

Imagine my dilemma when faced with what can only be described as a corn dog.

It didn’t help that descriptions of the creation made it sound like some sort of mythical creature, such as the griffin.

It is composed of parts of the animal kingdom that should never realistically be put together.

For those who don’t know, a corn dog is a hot dog wrapped in a doughnut-like batter derived from cornmeal, with a wooden stick added for good measure.

While looking at the corn dog on my plate, I was thinking in all seriousness of the wooden stick as the most nutritious part of the ensemble.

Despite the looming consequences, I took my first bite of its greasy exterior.

While some may say the truth is the hardest pill to swallow, it comes in a close second to the corn dog with its greasy, battered surface and mystery meat innards.

While in the midst of pitying my digestive system, I thought to myself that a punch to the gut would probably be a healthier dietary option.

I could at least then save on some calories.

Or maybe just go for the vegetarian option, but what is a vegetarian option of a corn dog, just plain corn?

Kohei Okusa, a senior international student from Japan majoring in business administration, doesn’t like the food or the small servings at Sutter Dining, he said.

“I don’t like how they give us little amounts of food on the plate,” Okusa said.

The portions need to be larger, Okusa said.

The portions and number of meals given are frustrations among most students, especially since the meals don’t rollover.

Come on, even AT&T has the sense to allow that feature.

“They should give us a menu of what food they’re going to make each week, and they should let the food credits carry-over from each term,” Okusa said.

Despite my personal battles with the corn dog, it must be said that Sutter Dining has a wealth of different food options available, enough to satisfy most tastes.

Although, in my personal opinion, the food does lack a certain “je ne sais quoi.”

Sutter Dining does have one rather large saving grace, and it is that it houses possibly the best four-word phrase that any student can hear – “all you can eat.”

<hr />

<strong>Ben Hames can be reached at

</strong> <em>[email protected]

</em>

 

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