This is not only my fourth year here at good old RPI; it’s also my fourth year dining at the Commons. That’s right, I’m one of those dorm rats that never left Freshman Hill and doesn’t have the time or the ambition to try cooking in the cramped residence hall kitchens on a daily basis.
Minus the cost, living on Freshman Hill in Davison Hall is pretty nice. The rooms are cozy but not cramped, the location is reasonably close to academic campus, and the Union is just a short walk down the hill. Unfortunately, eating at the Commons has been somewhat more of a mixed bag. To all of those people writing about how much the Commons has improved or degraded over the years, take it from me: you’re just being sentimental. Yes, there have been changes—positive and negative—but overall, the Commons is pretty much the same as it was when I got here in the fall of 2002.
Problems over the years have included a long line to swipe your card to get in; long lines at popular food areas; perpetually empty soda, ice, and ice cream machines; a lack of cups, plates, silverware, or condiments; a long wait for food to be cooked at certain food areas; stale or nasty food at the grill or salad bar; extremely greasy or watery food; closed food areas; closed eating areas; old furniture that’s damaged and new furniture that sucks; some of the worst pizza that you can get, even in Troy; meat that has no flavor at all; a lack of variety at some food areas and too much variety at others; overcrowding at peak eating times; a lack of action or explanation for inaction in response to comment cards; and a lack of a great volume of detailed and constructive student feedback.
The Commons does have a lot of great things going for it. The location is perfect, most of the staff are extremely friendly and helpful, the dining hall itself is very well-designed and spacious, and the meal plans (though expensive) are extremely convenient. The problem, ladies and gentlemen, is that of all the little problems listed above (and many more I didn’t think of) there are always some plaguing the Commons. Some get solved temporarily, some get solved permanently, more get created; ultimately, there’s never been a day when I haven’t walked in to find something awry.
