The University of New Mexico has an extremely diverse culture. If there is one thing that the students can agree on, it's the best places to hang out when food is involved.
It never seems to amaze me to learn so much about something from nothing other than observation. After observing different food distribution areas on campus, if there is one thing that I have learned, it is that we all love food, and it’s what brings us together. We share great meals together around the table, no matter where we are located on campus. There are three main different areas where students gather to enjoy their meals, the SUB, Zimmerman Library, and the CO-OP.
While sitting in the SUB, I witnessed many different groups of people come together to engage in conversation over a good meal. As I sat at the high top looking into the rest of the dining area, I watched as friends gathered like family, smiling and laughing with one another. As they engaged in their daily conversations, there were so focused on each other and their meals that they did not have time to pick up their phones to see what was trending in their newsfeeds. There were jocks, math-elites, teaching staff, faculty, and many other diverse groups of people all sitting amongst each other, not one with a frown on their face. As I looked at the meals that were on their tables, there was a large variety of meals that were being taken in. Everything from packed lunches, to subway, and even Chick-Fil-A.
Although at the time I was not sitting with anyone, as I was observing the rest of the room, I did not feel like I was sitting alone or lonely. I was sitting among many different people all taking in the moment and enjoying the food that was available to us. I could not believe the diverse group of people that we all sitting amongst one another and up to this point, I had never really taken the time to observe the things that are really happening around the lunch table in the SUB. I was intrigued to sit and watch, wanting more, it made me really happy to see all these diverse groups of people hanging out with each other. This goes to show that everyone really isn’t that different, and we can share common interest with many types of diverse communities on campus around the table with food.
From the SUB I walked over to the Zimmerman library where I sat on the bench facing the popular Starbucks coffee shop and watched people come and go. I felt a much different vibe from the people that were coming and going from the coffee shop. I noticed that no matter how awful someone’s day looked as they entered through the south side of the coffee shop, they all came out of the north side with a smile on their faces after sipping on freshly brewed coffee. I was surprised that they were as busy as they were, considering that it was going to cost me over five dollars to buy a Grande Iced Carmel Macchiato.
I decided to step in line for myself to see what all this chatter was about and to better understand all of the smiles that were coming from the first sip of the overpriced coffee. As I waited in line, I watched as the cashiers interacted with the customers. They were extremely friendly with each individual and helped the typical complicated customer meet all of their non-dairy, low-fat, no sugar, two pump of hazelnut needs. After I placed my order and resentfully handed over my card to be swiped, I walked over to the waiting area as I watched customers engaging in conversation. I was so surprised by this because these people had all arrived separately to this location, and had no relation amongst each other, other than the fact that they had exaggerated the fact that they had been waiting for this all day. It was like there reward for the day, something odd to me.
The barista called our names one by one as she slaved behind the counter, stressing to make everyone’s drink correctly and within a timely manner. People continued to talk with one another as they waited, extremely kind and compassionate with one another. As their names were called, it was never a good bye, only a see you next time or see you later, because they somehow knew that they would one day be standing in that same Starbucks line again together. After waiting nearly fifteen minutes with all of the other customers in line I finally received my order, by name too. Overall, I can understand why people spend the money that they do at this location, it makes you feel good and was able to lift you up if you were not having the best of days. I was so amazed that people would pay outrageous prices for essentially overpriced coffee, wait in line almost half an hour before receiving it, and still leave with the happiest of smiles on their faces. It was incredible.
As I sipped on my drink, I was now headed for the CO-OP. A place where I had been shopping for snacks many times, but never bothered to observe. As I walked around the shop and observed the items that were for sale, I looked at all the people that were coming to and from the store. I noticed that there were many customers dressed in fitness apparel as if they were finishing up or preparing for a workout. As I scoped through the store I was able to find many health foods that you would not find at your typical store. I myself am accustomed to shopping at Sprouts and Whole Foods, so many of the items that were on the shelves were not new to me. I could not help but notice the prices that were listed on many of these goods and it disgusted me. Most people who came to the store were only purchasing one thing and I would say spent an average of five dollars or more. Outrageous, but it honestly could not have been too bad considering that I just paid over five dollars for a coffee that I was able to consume in under ten minutes.
I decided that I would sit out at the green chair and table where I could continue to watch, and people came and went without being mistaken for a shoplifter in the store, as that was the feeling the cashier must have had being that I and been in there a while analyzing the walls of the facility. I noticed a large amount of school faculty shopping here. Seemed like a great place to get a meal high in nutritional value that was going to curb their hunger for the evening. There was not much activity occurring in the afternoon and I was quite surprised that they had not received more business. I continued to sit an engage in my thoughts about the different items that I found in the store and it made me happy inside that the students had the opportunity to eat such high quality of food if desired and expose me to a greater variety of food options on UNM’s campus.
After I was able to conduct a field observation on the many different food distribution centers around campus, I am able to better understand what a good meal does people. I noticed that there wasn’t a worry in the room, the only expression that these people all shared on their faces was happiness among each other, with a delicious plate in front of them to eat. There is nothing better.
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