If you’re anything like me (aka a student on a meal plan who wholeheartedly believed—yes, believed—that Burton was the superior dining hall), I’m sure returning to Carleton this week was a bit of a shock to your system. Not because your classes were more difficult than you imagined, because your room was unfamiliar and also probably 80 degrees or because there were around 500 new faces walking around campus. But because the station in Burton that once housed sandwiches, tofu and the trademark Burton fries has been displaced. 

No longer can you pair the conveniently placed classic Burton caesar salad with a burger. Or better yet, a perfectly sauced tofu triangle. Now, when you arrive at the first official station in the back of Burton, you are met with an allegedly permanent taco station. Though this may seem like a welcome addition to some, I would argue that it not only lacks originality but sours the Burton experience for many Carleton students. 

If you have ever been in the St. Olaf dining hall, you have likely seen their permanent taco station. Like ours, they serve beans, meat, an assortment of toppings, etc. This has always elevated my experience at our neighboring college, particularly because I miss the easy access to Chipotle that my city-living lifestyle offers during breaks. Yet, would I choose to eat this at every meal? No, I would not. Of course, Burton’s new station does not mean I have to eat at this station every single day, let alone eat at Burton every single day. But, as one of the three main options at a dining hall that tends to cycle through its staples in the remaining stations quite regularly, this is only amplifying the lack of options an average student has in a given week. Not to mention the rigid choice (or lack thereof) of meal plans for students. Freshmen are required to be on the 20, meaning they must eat in the dining hall twenty times a week,or at least that’s what they’re paying for. Not only that, but any students after the Class of 2026 are unable to opt out of the meal plan entirely.

Not only is there a noticeable shift toward increasing repetition but also a drop in food options for students with dietary restrictions. Namely, vegetarians and vegans. Though I was only a non meat-eating student for one term last year, I relied heavily on the Burton tofu triangles to add flavor and protein to my diet. The sauce tended to change every day, allowing for needed switch-up in my palette. And they often paired well with the vegetable options being served at stations like Global. I was not the only student who picked these out religiously; most vegetarian and vegan students I know had at least one of these triangles a day. Though the current taco station does occasionally offer a vegetarian option for those who cannot eat pork or chicken, it is paired with the rest of the dish. This inhibits the effectiveness of a singular item that can enhance a meal collected from multiple stations. 

This leads me to my last point: the importance of basic, stable foods, such as the chicken that the previous grill station offered as well. Similar to how you could use a tofu triangle as a meal enhancer, the chicken thighs helped to add protein to a salad or bowl. Additionally, some individuals are limited in their preferences—or dietary restrictions—to unsauced, minimally flavored foods. Without access to a simple chicken thigh, many are left searching the remaining stations for foods that satisfy them. There’s only so much plain pasta one person can eat until they need viable protein. Obviously, the majority of Carleton students can eat from each station without an issue. Yet, my previous points still stand. Students’ meals grow repetitive and inflexible. 

I was once a diehard Burton frequenter, relying on the East Dining Hall (LDC) strictly for their wood-fired pizza. But with every day that goes by this term—and those who have been here for New Student Week know that it’s been longer—I grow more frustrated with the unsatisfactory Burton options. The answer for a return to normalcy is unclear, but for right now, it seems that the taco station is here to stay. Will this mean a mass migration to LDC? Only time will tell. I’m sure that student feedback will be a vital determinant of how the rest of the year plays out. But without clear direction, I can see Burton continuing to stray from popular public opinion.