Facing the prospect of the proposed mandatory meal plan, upperclassmen are thinking of new ways to use their TA and TH kitchens.
Future SoCo resident Blake Mack expressed frustration with the new plan. “I just don’t understand how I’m supposed to get all the way to the Deece everyday–especially now that I can’t ride my hoverboard on campus.” Mack and his housemates are considering investing in a Segway.
The dismay is unfortunately not confined to the SoCo’s. Sydney McCabe almost lost her spot in the TA’s because of the “VanMinter Mixup.” Little did she know, an even bigger disaster was headed her way in the form of a new meal plan.
However, McCabe and her housemates put their heads together to defeat the ResLife/Dining patriarchy and decided to sublet their kitchen.
“You’d be surprised how many people in the area are looking to rent a kitchen,” said McCabe, who is deciding between offers from a group of Culinary Institute students and the incoming Raymond Post-Bac. “It really just comes down to getting the most bang for our buck, like taking tubs of cereal from the Deece,” McCabe added.
The subletting idea is spreading faster than Founder’s Day merch. Sean Smith and his TH housemates have recently reached an agreement with Nilda’s Desserts. Their kitchen will act as a satellite location for the local business.
According to Nilda and Jim Milano, owners of Nilda’s Desserts, the partnership was only natural. “We started the business out of our home so it’s only natural to go in this direction–back to our roots, if you will,” said Nilda Milano (that’s actually her name) in an emailed statement.
“This partnership is sweet: we’re committed to bringing the freshest desserts to Vassar students and baking on-site really allows us to cut out the middle man.”
Unfortunately, campus administrators see a downside to this trend. “This is absolutely not what our campus housing is intended for,” wrote a senior administrator at the College who wished not to be named.
The administrator continued, “There is a great fear that we won’t be able to do anything to stop this. It’s just like the smoking ban: even if we condemn it, students will just continue but be slightly quieter about it. I have had some conversations with colleagues about getting on the right side of this thing–you know, maybe helping students build these partnerships for a small fee, but that is probably illegal.”
As of now nobody is certain what will happen to the remaining kitchens. But who can complain about getting fresher Nilda’s? Besides, if we have no idea how to cook when we graduate, at least we’ll have great problem-solving skills.