'U' seniors return to campus cafeterias

Think no one would ever want to eat cafeteria food after they've moved out of the residence halls?

About 75 seniors returned to their old haunts for dinner yesterday for the "Dorm Reunion" sponsored by Senior Days '98 and the Residence Halls Association. South Quad, Bursley, and Mary Markley residence hall cafeterias offered the free dinners.

"It always smells like Mexican - no matter what they're serving," said Craig Zimmerman, a Business senior and former South Quad resident.

"The same guy's at the door taking cards," Zimmerman said. "It really hasn't changed at all ... you walk in, you know exactly where everything is."

The graduating seniors said that coming back to South Quad's cafeteria sparked mixed emotions of excitement for the future and nostalgia for the past.

"I'd say freshman year was the best," said Troy Henige, an Engineering senior. "You get an opportunity to meet so many people."

As proof, Henige attended the reunion with hallmates from his first year at the University.

"We're a success story," Business senior Matt Meyer said of the relationships he and his hallmates have maintained during the past four years.

Meyer added that he enjoyed "seeing the freshmen going through what we went through.

"It's good to get back to your roots, where it all started four years ago," he said.

Business senior Roger Trim said the visit to the cafeteria brought him back to his early days at the University.

"Your perspective on things changes," Trim said. "You see how much you've changed."

Trim and Zimmerman noted how different it is to be a senior and have no worries.

"When we lived here," Zimmerman said, "you were going straight to the library. Now you're gonna go straight to the bar."

Upcoming Senior Days '98 events include City Night - a fair featuring housing, transportation, and recreation information on major U.S. cities - scheduled to be held tonight from 8-11 p.m. in the U-Club of the Michigan Union; a spiritual celebration service scheduled for April 16; and Senior Diag Days scheduled for April 20 and 21.

04-09-98