Digesting Dissatisfaction: A Critical Look at Our College Mess

Let’s delve into a conversation between Arya, a wide-eyed fresher, and Arnab, a seasoned senior, before we navigate through the intricacies of our campus mess. 

Arnab: When do your classes start?

Arya: Oh, at 8 in the morning, I suppose

Arnab: (Chuckles)In the morning, of course. Where, then?

Arya: We have to go to the LHC complex to attend our programming class, then classes go up till, like, noon, and then we have to come back and-

Arnab: Okay, okay. 

Arya: Bhaiyya so-

Arnab: Yes?

Arya: Suppose I go a little late for the 8 o’clock class, and I go to have breakfast at, say 7:30, because I was exhausted the previous day; then will long queues wait for food? I mean, some of the messes I know simply can’t handle a large volume of people. They just serve slowly, run out of food, and then make the queue longer. Is our mess like that?

Arnab: (Shocked) Really?

Arya: Haan bhaiyya why?

Arnab: (Smiles) You’ve got nothing to worry about.

Arya: Is that sarcasm?

Arnab: Nahi yaar, our mess serves food on time. Even during rush hours, we have two queues that are quickly satisfied by the swift way our caterers provide the food- and food shortage, in the middle of it all? No way- our caterers always have the right quantity of food for the students. They don’t waste it or make a student hungry by consistently preparing the right amount. 

Now, we ask the reader to check on the validity of this conversation. Is this something that correlates to the current condition of our mess, or are Arnab's responses something that seems so ideal that the things Arya is worrying about are true? We at Udaan, of course, leave the responses to our more than capable audience. 

With that in mind,  let's delve into the intricacies of our campus mess facilities.

The campus features two messes on the South and North campuses, respectively. The North campus hosts a relatively newer mess facility where primary cooking takes place, while food is transported (so swiftly that it gets cold sometimes) to the South Campus mess for serving. The South campus accommodates first-year boys of the B.Tech program and all female students, while the North campus serves as the dining hub for all the other students. Both the messes running simultaneously cater to almost 1250 students daily. Strategically located approximately 1.8 km apart, both messes are conveniently accessible, with the South mess positioned near the sports complex and the North mess a mere five-minute walk from academic and departmental blocks. The messes are well-ventilated and have HVLS fans, so they stay relatively cool even during scorching heat.

Despite the various efforts to streamline service, several areas warrant improvement. These may seem trivial initially, but they impact the dining experience of many students. 

Firstly, ensuring swift service while catering to many students sometimes compromises hygiene standards; the plates might need to be adequately washed (a rare but inevitable issue), the spoons or glasses might be stained, and so on. However, measures are in place to ensure that these situations are avoided. Are these measures sufficient, or do they merely serve as a facade to placate student concerns? Something to truly ponder upon.

Another notable concern revolves around the fixed menu structure implemented by the mess, wherein each day of the week adheres to a predetermined set of dishes. More often than not, a particular day or two has a menu that appeals to the taste buds of a tiny fraction of the students, leaving a vast majority of the students dissatisfied. Repeatedly dealing with unappealing food can be annoying. However, the mess attempts to give students greater flexibility by offering daily curry, dal, and rice options. This gives the students the freedom to choose their food per their preferences. Moreover, curd and pickle are a default everyday option, so if something goes wrong, students can always help themselves with fresh curd (something else to ponder upon) or tongue-tickling pickle :) 

To understand the nuances of student dining experiences, let’s take a quick stat break that sheds light on the favourite days to eat at the mess.

According to the survey results, Saturdays and Sundays emerge as the clear favourites among students. , We attribute this to the ice cream on Sundays (which the caterer, these days, seems to regard giving one as a generous offering) alongside the appeal of enjoying fried potatoes for lunch and poori for dinner. 

Interestingly, the data reveals a striking trend: not a single respondent voted for Wednesday as their favourite day to eat at the mess. Why? Another thing to ponder upon.

As mentioned, the food preparation occurs in the North mess and is transported to the South mess for serving. However, this distance sometimes creates a problem as the demand-supply process has a slight latency. At times, a particular dish might suddenly run out, causing a pause in the queue for about ten minutes due to potential oversight in communication between the messes (It turns out the conversation between Arya and Arnab was a fever dream). Even though the concerned people try their best to mitigate the issue, some communication gaps are inevitable. Hence, the overall punctuality of the mess is impacted. The opening and closing times of the South mess may be affected because the food might be en route from the North mess or due to a slight delay in the process. This can disrupt the students' academic schedules since they must rush to classes and labs on any typical weekday.

Every problem has a solution, and the issues encountered in the mess are no exception. Delays can be reduced by appointing a dedicated person to monitor the remaining quantity of food and coordinate with North Mess promptly. Moreover, some attention can be given to the whole plate cleaning/rinsing process. However, along with rinsing the utensils thoroughly, they have to look at the bugs (even frogs sometimes) that choose to rest on the plates, ready to be taken for eating. Imagine tiny bugs falling from the ceiling, landing directly on your food just as you're about to take a bite of your chapati. How can you expect your appetite to remain unaffected at such times?

We suggest increasing the spoons and plates as the cutlery runs out quickly, leaving more than half of the students without a spoon or glass. Regarding taste, timely surveys can be taken to gauge the ever-changing student preferences, and then necessary steps can be taken to avoid the issues they face. This can increase the appeal of the food and the whole mess system among the student body.

In summary, the mess is integral to a residential institution and should always be considered. We frequent the mess almost thrice a day, Using it not just for sustenance but also as a place to relax, recharge, and socialise with friends. It provides a respite from the hectic pace of college life, offering a chance to rejuvenate. It’s supposed to give us such a pleasant environment, making it our responsibility to identify and address any issues within it actively. Mere complaints or anonymous confessions on social media platforms (honourable shout out to the keyboard warriors) won't suffice; action speaks louder. 

As the saying goes, "We eat to live, and we live to eat," so why not ensure that our dining experience is as enjoyable as possible? ;)