Chris Kelly, a sophomore in polymer and color chemistry, stands at Owen Beach, contemplating his most difficult decision of the night. He stands at his crossroads while an empty stomach demands a choice. The rest of his body fights in this epic battle. His sophisticated palette yearns for him to go left, while his legs beg for the right after walking across campus all day. It’s a decision that most students are faced with. Fountain Dining Hall or Clark Dining Hall?

Kelly, a resident advisor in Carroll Hall, said that while Fountain Dining Hall was much closer to him, Clark Dining Hall has a higher quality of food. According to him, the pizza at Clark Dining Hall is excellent.

However, when it comes to his favorite dining room item, chocolate-vanilla ice cream swirl in a cone, Fountain Dining Hall takes the cake despite the frequent break down of the machine.

Grace Beal, a sophomore in textile and apparel management, agreed with Kelly that the food tastes better in Clark Dining Hall. Brought up on organic vegetables most of her life, she is picky when it comes to her greens. According to Beal, the vegetables at Clark Dining Hall are acceptable while Fountain Dining Hall’s are “like flavorless goo.”

“It actually tastes like the food at Fountain is from a can,” said Beal.

Anna Patton, a sophomore in Spanish and psychology, said that she would fight anyone who bad-mouthed Fountain Dining Hall. The food is more like home cooking, according to her.

“You don’t feel like you are eating in a cafeteria,” Patton said.

She said the vegetables are amazing; she especially likes the Prince Edward blend which includes cauliflower, carrots and broccoli. Her favorite item is the cornbread, which she branded the best in the world.

Jackie Avise, a junior in zoology, can’t tell much of a difference between the food at the two dining halls. According to her, people just tell each other that Fountain Dining Hall is bad, and it becomes the school joke.

The staff is another argument among students. Some, like Avise, said that the faculty at Clark Dining Hall is nicer. However, Patton said that staff at Fountain Dining Hall are very friendly and actually take the time to talk to students. Among her favorites is Melanie Newkirk, one of the ladies who swipes student cards. Newkirk is known by those who eat frequently at Fountain. She calls the students by name, and they do the same for her.

This is Newkirk’s second year in Fountain Dining Hall after serving food to football players at the Murphy Center.

She said Fountain Dining Hall’s staff is very eager to get student input to make things better. One time a student suggested cottage cheese and a week later, it was on the salad bar, according to Newkirk. She also said there is assistance available for students on crutches and to-go boxes for sick students.

“We go way beyond,” Newkirk said enthusiastically.

But one thing she said she doesn’t put up with is stealing. While she made clear that most students are very courteous, Newkirk said people take all kinds of things from the dining hall.

Students took signs down from the Halloween decorations last year as souvenirs. One student returned at the end of the year with an entire tray of dishes and silverware. He was apparently just borrowing them, Newkirk said.

In one instance, she had to chase a student down after he left the cafeteria with a chair. “Everyone steals from Fountain,” Beal said. Her friend, Rachel Bentley, a sophomore in English, said it was certainly easier to take things from Fountain Dining Hall than Clark Dining Hall. According to Head Chef Marsha Strickland, another benefit of Fountain Dining Hall is the specials. Strickland, who transfered from Clark Dining Hall to Fountain Dining Hall in April, said there are chef specials at Fountain Dining Hall every Friday. Students really like these specials, such as her Seafood Paella and Chicken Carbonara, according to Strickland. Strickland also said there is a special in the works where students can sit at the chef’s table and get a meal cooked especially for them. She said for students to keep an eye out for a box for a drawing in Fountain Dining Hall’s lobby. According to Strickland, double the students come to Fountain Dining Hall each night, around 1,700. She said this is largely due to the size of the two dining halls. Many of the people from East Campus, which is much closer to Clark Dining Hall, travel to Fountain because they enjoy it more, according to Newkirk. As far as the atmosphere goes, the dining halls are very different, according to Beal. She and Bentley said that they prefer the natural lighting of Clark, with the holes in the ceiling, to Fountain’s dimmer lights. “I like to see what I am eating,” Beal said. Once again, Patton defended Fountain Dining Hall by saying the new renovations in Fountain make it “the epitome of classy dining experience.” One of the problems both dining halls have is the closing time, said Kelly. He usually eats a late lunch and therefore is not ready for dinner until after Fountain Dining Hall and Clark Dining Hall’s close, at 8 p.m., which usually redirects students to the Wolves Den or off campus, said Kelly. Avise agreed. “They should be open later,” she said.