Roommate 2 Interview
Source: Laura Gerber, current IU Sophomore; Mar 29, 2021
Text:
How often did you cook your meals compared to eating dining hall food?
2-3 times a week prepped food/ate in room
What kinds of meals did you eat in the dorm?
Rice A Roni, Instant Noodles, Ramen, Apples
Did anyone you know or live with have unique specialty meals?
One friend made omelets for herself and others living on the floor. She used a special microwaveable mold that allowed for quick, easy cooking. She always had lots of mixins depending on what she had available. (I thought it was cool but I never got the mold.) Also, my roommate’s mom would send her homemade Indian food from home to heat up.
How did you find ideas for what to make?
Proximity played the largest role in what I ate; We often ate at Wright because it was close and easy to get to when busy. Also, if somewhere didn’t have vegetarian options, I wouldn’t go there, like certain dining halls or restaurants on campus.
Did your parents or relatives pass down any dorm-friendly recipes from their college days?
They mostly sent me in blind. They told me to eat fruits to keep from getting sick because they failed to do that during their college years. My sister also sent so much pedialyte for hangover recovery. My mom would send lots of food, (muffins, worried not eating breakfast) mostly healthy options since dining halls typically have unhealthy options.
If you were cooking in your dorm, where did you get your ingredients?
Bloomingfoods, Wright c-store, sometimes Target (transportation inhibited getting to college mall)
Did dorm life teach you any useful kitchen skills?
“Sometimes you don’t need to do the most for the meal. You can go with the easiest options, and that’s okay.” I also got tired of eating the same things in the dining hall all the time, so I ended up choosing foods from the alternating menu; I usually would just pick safe options.
Texture: Similar to Kelly, Laura’s interview gave insight into her eating habits in general as it relates to college life and staying in a dorm. She emphasized how proximity and availability of vegetarian options heavily controlled where/what she decided to eat. Because of her tight schedule, she often ate at Wright dining hall because it was closest to her, even though she eventually got tired of eating the same foods all the time. Laura lived on the same floor as Kelly freshman year and remembered more people with unique dorm recipes. First she noted her friend and described how she had a special mold that allowed her to frequently make microwave omelets. She customized her omelets based on the ingredients available to her from the dining halls and c-stores. Laura admired her creativity but said she never bought a mold for herself. Interestingly, Laura explained that, like Kelly’s sister, her sister sent lots of pedialyte to cure hangovers.
Context: While Laura talked about her eating habits as they related to college experience across campus, the context of her dorm appeared as the ultimate determining factor. She got food from the same place nearly everyday, despite growing sick of the options, because it was the easiest location to reach. She also went to the same c-store for groceries/ingredients even though other places had more and different options because of its accessibility. The people she was able to connect with were also affected by her living situation; because they lived in the same hall, Laura saw all aspects of their lives including their cooking habits and personal recipes. Each dorm, even each hall, provides a distinct context for college foodways.
Interpretation: Through Laura’s responses, I picked up on the core concept of identity. I see students as taking on the role of roommate or dorm-mate which, as mentioned above, affects their overall eating habits. The people students live around and co-exist with influence their food decision by providing inspiration, giving advice, or eating together. We pick up tendencies and routines from those around us; in Laura’s case she absorbed information initially from her sister and transferred that knowledge to her new living mates where she gained new information from them too. Her role inside her community leads her to learn certain recipes and eat certain foods.