Pitting the three dining centers against each other

Vikings versus Packers. Yankees versus Red Sox. 42nd Street versus Columbia.

None of these debates are the most contentious on campus.

It’s a regular topic for on-campus discussion; a conversation that can make or ruin friendships.

Which of the three main dining centers is the best?

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Daniel Yun

Students line up for dinner at the Terrace Dining Center on Monday evening. Daniel Yun/ Dakota Student

For some, there are no favorites. For others, a change in location can ruin an entire day.

Kallia Rinkel is a sophomore at UND. She lives in the Fulton dorms and prefers Squires over Wilkerson and Terrace.

“Squires is so closed off and intimate where [Wilkerson] you can just see everybody and everybody can see you and they can judge you when you laugh too loud,” Rinkel said.

Rinkel has a laugh that echoes across Grand Forks, meaning the judgement of her laugh is something serious to consider.

She also mentioned that Squires is closer to her Fulton dorm, making it easier to avoid the harsh North Dakota winter.

For students like UND freshman Maggie Powell, convenience to the classroom is more important than proximity to the dorms. Powell also lives in the Fulton dorms, but the majority of her classes are closer to Terrace.

Powell eats breakfast and lunch every day at Terrace. She said one of her favorite aspects of Terrace is the “homey” atmosphere it has. Not to mention the ladies behind the counter.

“They’re all so friendly,” Powell said. “They’re always saying ‘eat more’ and ‘have some casserole’ and it’s just really cute. They really care.”

Those who eat at Terrace and Squires can easily notice a more comfortable atmosphere than that of Wilkerson.

“[Wilkerson] feels more like a cafeteria and not like a dining place,” UND sophomore Dan Martin said.

Wilkerson underwent remodeling and was re-opened in the fall of 2015. Powell noted that Wilkerson has a cleaner look, while Geneva Brandt is not as fond of the new look.

“It’s almost colder here because of the color scheme,” Brandt said. “It’s so gray.”

One of the more notable differences in Wilkerson was the lack of trays for carrying foods and drinks.

Powell said she would find it more convenient if trays were at Wilkerson.

“I know that it adds dishes and costs money and that’s something to be considered.” Powell said.

Immediately after making that comment, someone had dropped a glass.

“That’s why we should have trays,” Powell said.

For Rinkel, having the tray in Squires is nice, but they aren’t a “selling point.”

To even out the playing field, Wilkerson is the only dining center with take-out boxes for late-night snackers.

Despite this being a point for Brandt’s favorite dining center, she brought the conversation back to the overall theme of convenience.

“I liked it better when it was at Squires, because then I didn’t need to carry a giant tray of food,” Brandt said.

As for the actual food, it came down to personal eating styles.

Brandt said Wilkerson is the best because there are more vegan options for her.

Rinkel voted for Squires because the food tastes “fresher.”

Although Powell voted for Terrace, she looked at the plethora of food options Wilkerson offers.

“It think it’s cool, because (at Wilkerson) you’re always going to get pasta and always be able to get a burger,” Powell said. “At Terrace, you never know what you’re getting. You show up and it’s whatever the ladies decided to cook that day.”

Whether it’s because your classes are close, or your dorm has a tunnel to one or because the ladies at Terrace know your name, everybody has a preferable place to eat.

For every person who has a quick route to late-night, there’s another who hikes to Terrace twice a day.

Jacob Notermann is a staff writer for the Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected]