“What should we do for food?”
More often asked on the weekends, figuring out what and where to eat is a classic question we ask our friends, whether we’re first-years or on the verge of graduating.
Delivery options like Good Uncle, GoPuff, Uber Eats and GrubHub have become more popular as they provide more convenient access to food for those looking to have a more low-key eating experience, or are too busy to leave or cook.
In doing so, however, a traditional eating experience might be missed, disrupting bonding opportunities with friends or hallmates.
Deciding where to eat is not a chore, but an opportunity to spend time with friends. Various situations call for different experiences, like going to a nice restaurant for a friend’s birthday or just walking around and stumbling into an untouched local gem.
Our younger years at Lehigh were spent laughing with hallmates at the dining hall, reminiscing about the previous night or other shenanigans that come with living directly next to friends.
Coming to school knowing nobody, knocking on doors and asking in GroupMe if anyone wants food is an easy way to meet new people. While the options at Lehigh dining establishments sometimes become repetitive, the school does strive to create balanced and various meal options to cater to all eating habits.
The proximity of the dining halls to on-campus dorms makes those options attractive for first-years looking for a group eating experience.
As we get older and have access to cars, however, we are presented with the opportunity to get off campus to explore different restaurants and the surrounding area.
East Third Street alone has a wide variety of places to eat within a square mile of each other — Italian, Mexican, Greek, Indian and Asian joints all within walking distance of our homes, varying in price and atmosphere.
Some places even offer discounts or GoldPLUS options for Lehigh students in an attempt to get students off the Hill and into their restaurants.
The North Side, while more of a trek, also has plenty of trendy dining options that can be the center of a nice evening off campus.
While there is a stigma that Lehigh students are restricted to the bubble of campus, constantly telling each other there’s nothing to do in the surrounding area, Bethlehem has a plethora of well-known and hole-in-the-wall places to eat that students overlook simply out of ignorance.
Given how busy we are during the week, it is sometimes difficult to slow things down and enjoy a good eating experience with friends. Making time on the weekends to enjoy a communal eating experience is something to look forward to, and an excuse to bond with our friends.
We all have to eat, so we might as well make an event out of it.
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