Wrong view on Westview

The Rock is not the only place to get a good meal

Every day for lunch, I eat at Westview because all my classes are in the Science Building. The more I eat there, the more I realize how much people really complain about the food.

Not a meal goes by that someone in line, at the salad bar, at surrounding tables, or even my own table makes some sort of remark. A classic is someone asking “Hey is there anything good today?” with a response of “Um, it’s Westview. What do you think?”

Sure, maybe it doesn’t offer the wide selection, food court style options like the Rock. Maybe it doesn’t have the same visual appeal and it seems more like a high school lunch line. Even if that’s so, if we’re really honest, even that wasn’t so bad. We all got through it for 12 years and survived; are we really going to complain now?

After all, anything gets old after a while. For the longest time I ate at the Rock everyday and realized the food wasn’t always that appealing. I actually sort of craved the lunch line Westview style. It’s a nice change sometimes.

Now, without even trying to make Westview seem “not all that bad,” let’s address the flat out good. Westview’s late night menu is delicious. They always have cheesy bread, sometimes the wing bar, and quite frankly, it’s usually less busy. They also have that nice sandwich bar where you can build your own so you don’t have to wait for the sub line at the Rock to do it. Also, Westview frequently serves Mexican food. I seldom see Mexican at the Rock, and I’ve heard from multiple students that it’s a favorite.

Also, who can resist the nice service at Westview? The Rock card swipers are nice too, but there is one man in particular at Westview who works the early lunch shift. Every single day he calls everyone by name, asks him or her how he or she’s doing, and engages in conversation with each person.

I walk in the door smiling at lunch every day because I know I’ll get to see his happy face and cheerful disposition, and I’m humbled he can do a job with such joy that many would be tempted to do with a grumpier heart.

If I had to be honest, I would say I do prefer the Rock. I try to mix it up between the Rock and Westview so that I don’t grow tired of either. The point is, people who complain about Westview like it’s their job really need to stop complaining. Sure, even I’ve done it occasionally when I haven’t been able to get a trip to the Rock in for a while, but it’s really not that bad.

With this being the season for thankfulness, we should be grateful to even have food to eat. Other people’s jaws would drop at the amount of food we consume, let alone the selection of things to eat.

Whether we sit down at the Rock and wonder what type of food we’ll pick from today, or as we approach the lunch line at Westview, we should be grateful—not critical, picky, and full of complaints. n