As students at Bucknell who have all had unlimited swipes at least once throughout our time here, we have all experienced  Bostwick Marketplace cafeteria food. The good, the bad, and the very bad—we have been there to try it all. 

This past week, a few sports teams came to Bucknell to compete. Where did these athletes eat? The caf, of course. So, naturally, I knew I had to inquire about their thoughts on the food. How did it match up to what they’re used to? 

The first to be interviewed was the US Air Force Water Polo team. The representative from this team expressed his feelings for the food: “I’ve enjoyed it so far… a lot of options, more than where we’re from. I like the milk dispensers. That’s fancy.”

The Air Force team explained further that their food is terrible, and they sometimes eat MREs (Meals Ready to Eat), which are freeze-dried meals in a pouch made for the military, particularly for when they are deployed and, I guess, when they attend the Air Force Academy. The Air Force players gave our food “two thumbs up,” an excellent rating. 

Next up was the Princeton Water Polo team. Since they were coming from Princeton, I had preconceived notions that they would hate our food and have top-tier food. However, the Princeton boys felt the opposite. One player said, “I think the food is really good.”

“I would say the pizza here is much better than Princeton pizza. Very positive thoughts.” Coming from New Jersey, I was shocked that he preferred our Lewisburg pizza over their Jersey pizza.

His friend chimed in next, saying, “The food is great. The ice cream is much better than our Princeton ice cream machine. I love all the soda dispensers.” I agree: there is no beating our ice cream here. Our soda dispensers are pretty versatile, too—lots of options. 

The last to be interviewed was the Army Soccer team. Not as passionate as Air Force or Princeton (maybe he could sense my loyalty to the Navy), the player I talked to said, “The food was okay—it was mid.” Short but sweet, I suppose. There is little to expand on from this quote other than to verify its accuracy. The caf will either hit or miss; okay is a solid in-between. 

Overall, the players had positive reactions to our caf food. Our biggest star would be the ice cream many Bucknell students like to indulge in.

Listening to these athletes’ perspectives on our cafeteria food has given me a new appreciation for what we have on campus. It’s easy to be critical when it’s a part of your daily routine, but hearing these outside opinions reminded me that our caf food isn’t as bad as we sometimes make it out to be. It made me realize that, at times, my high expectations might be influenced by nostalgia for home-cooked meals and food back home. So, maybe it’s time to cut our caf food some slack and savor those moments a little more.

Our caf food remains solid and edible, and if you’re coming from the Air Force Academy, it’ll be the best thing you eat all week.