When three back-to-back interviews left Rebecca Dodek of Rockville, Maryland with no time to make the walk to Allison Dining Commons, she conveniently had dinner delivered to her instead.
“I wanted a break from Allison dining hall food,” Dodek said. “I was ready for a change. I mainly ordered food because I was working on an article, and (was) pretty busy and I didn’t really have time to go out.”
A Mediterranean meal delivered to Jones Hall kept her fed between interviews and reflected a broader trend among cherubs: balancing work schedules with mealtimes.
Throughout the program, cherubs relied on food delivery apps to fit mealtimes into their packed schedules, avoid the dangerous air quality (due to smoke from the Canadian forest fires that impacted large parts of the country for several days in July) and take a break from Allison Dining Commons.
“One of the days I ordered was because of the air quality, and another night I had three interviews back-to-back, so I ate between interviews,” Dodek said. “It made it possible to keep working without missing dinner.”
“I actually think I should have DoorDashed less and gone to the cafeteria more because it can get expensive,” said Declan Smith of Chicago. “But there were days when it really made sense, like during the hazardous air quality or when I had a story due and couldn’t make it to the dining hall. Sometimes you just need comfort food after a long day, and DoorDash made that possible.”
While food delivery quickly became a part of many cherubs’ routines, not all deliveries made their way to Jones as planned. Between confusing pickup locations and chaotic trips outside the dorm, a few deliveries resulted in near injuries.
“My friend Declan and I rushed downstairs because the app said our driver had arrived in a car,” Lucy Shirrell of Chicago said. “Instead, a guy on a bike sped right past us and almost hit him, and we had no idea he was actually our delivery driver. We walked all the way around Jones before realizing the person who almost ran us over was the one bringing our food.”
Even simple meals posed some unexpected challenges. Road closures and poor weather required some cherubs to make an extra effort in order to secure their meal.
“On the Fourth of July, we ordered Noodles & Company, but all the streets were closed because of the parade and fireworks,” Leila Singer said. “Our driver called us, and we ended up walking about five minutes through the rain in flip-flops to meet him.”
Carter Heit of Haworth, New Jersey, said that food delivery was not only used as a convenient way to make time for a meal, but it became a way for cherubs to connect and celebrate.
“My mom really wanted me to celebrate my birthday with everyone, so she told me to spend whatever I wanted,” Heit said. “We ended up ordering about 10 Domino’s pizzas and garlic bread, and everyone enjoyed it. It was a really fun celebration, and by the end almost every slice was gone.”
Despite its convenience, Dodek recommended that students use food delivery services as an occasional alternative as opposed to a replacement to the dining hall.
“There will be times when you’re hard at work or just need a break from Allison dining hall,” Dodek said. “If you ever need a meal and don’t have time to leave, you can order something online, and it’ll be right there when you need it.”
