Cafeterias are typically filled with delicious aromas and the sound of excited chatter of college students. At one time, this could be found at MCCC, but those days are gone thanks to the implementation of the Market Twenty 4 Seven.
As someone who is a self-proclaimed “foodie,” I can say that I was rather disappointed. I would not call it gross or bad, but disappointing. The first product I tried, and the only good thing there, was a ham and beer cheese sandwich with pickles on King’s Hawaiian bread. However, even this sandwich was a pricey $5.49.
I was a fully online college student thanks to COVID-19. I wanted a way to feel like a “real” college student, so I spent $11-13 every Tuesday on lunch and all I got was the King’s Hawaiian ham and beer cheese, cheddar and sour cream Ruffles, Keebler soft batch chocolate chip cookies and a Mountain Dew.
I have tried a lot of other food like the chicken salad wrap, some microwaveable burgers, and quesadillas.
One day, when looking through the fridges for something new thanks to my trusty ham and beer cheese being sold out, a fellow student grabbed a breakfast wrap out of the fridge and handed it to me. She said it was the best thing there, so I bought it. Per her instructions, I put the wrap in the microwave. The eggs were slimy and somehow hot and cold. It tasted like nothing. The wrap was so thin that it ripped the moment I picked it up.
That was the best thing there according to her, and I watched many students buy those breakfast wraps.
The only thing I would say was worse than that was the quesadilla, which despite the implication of the name, was just beans. The thin tortilla tasted like nothing and ripped before I even touched it. There was an excess of beans. Quesadillas typically have cheese but this, I would not call this a quesadilla.
When talking to two Monroe County Middle College students who had the chance to have the real cafeteria, they both had the same responses.
Both Joeleen Jennings and Veda Legeza agreed that the cafeteria was better.
Jennings said she misses being able to get fresh chicken tenders and fries. She said she was able to get a good amount for only a few dollars and a 2 liter of soda.
Legeza said she missed the chicken tenders for $2.
Both said they miss the cafeteria staff and wonder how they are doing.
While I did not attend MCCC while they had a cafeteria, I took a tour of campus probably every year thanks to going to Mason Consolidated.
The college hosted a Senior Night in 2020 for all of the high school seniors and provided lunch from the cafeteria. It was this thin pizza with a cardboard-like crust with no sauce and a white cheese.
It is safe to say I do not think these students miss the cafeteria for the food quality but rather the people, pricing and experience of it all.
I am severely disappointed by the market. It makes me sad that so many high school age students only have this instead of a proper cafeteria.