I firmly believe that every annoying aspect of Bennington happens in the dining hall. Don’t get me wrong, I love it: the different colored rooms (everyone has a preference), the fireplaces, the FOOD (actually very good). It really is a pretty lovely experience, almost like going out to a cafe with friends rather than an institutional dining place. But there are certain things that make the experience less than enjoyable, to put it nicely. When people say “annoying” in the context of Bennington, I can’t help but think of:

• people who stand finishing their drinks in front of the conveyor belt we all put our dirty dishes on, causing a long line to form while they drink in blissful ignorance
• people who don’t look up when they’re walking around, and whilst carrying massive plates of food; you can guess the end results to this one
• people who move backwards in the hot food line or go the wrong way entirely (I never thought this would happen in my time here but it has)
• when they are out of cranberry juice or raspberry lemonade (cough, today)
• people who decide lunch time is the perfect time to have screaming discussions about current political affairs at the table next to me
• people who turn around too quickly after getting a drink and end up spilling it all over your shirt so you walk around to your afternoon class looking ridiculous and smelling like peach citrus whatever

I realize I sound like a jaded senior. Maybe I am. Maybe I’m not! But I believe these things are just common courtesies to the people around you and maybe should be given some attention. In the end, I guess if these are the most annoying things I can think of when it comes to Bennington, it’s not so bad here. 

You can read more about the dining hall at Bennington here! And feel free to check out the dining hall weekly menu on our students page under “Quick Links”.

-India K, ‘12