The Gavel’s Diatribe acts as the satirical medium for short rants over topics ranging from complete triviality to utmost importance.
When I think of BC dining, I tend to think of dry grilled chicken and two sides of undercooked rice and squishy vegetables. I think of Mac and how it is reminiscent of a high school cafeteria, inducing familiar anxiety and nervousness, the feeling of a room of people staring at you. I get afraid to eat the mediocre food by myself in most of the BC dining halls out of fear of looking lonely. However, one dining hall has revealed itself to defy all low-bar expectations of BC dining, which is, of course, the Rat.
“Have a Rattastic Day!” Just hearing these words roll off the tongue of Rattastic Robbie brings a smile to my face, knowing that I am about to dish the best campus gossip of the week to my roommates after we get our delicious late night treats. The smoothie and panini specials as well as a brand new late night waffle with a side of Acapella group drama and crafting the perfect weekend plans is a special treat that I can only get at the Rat.
Beyond the fantastic vibes of late night, it is the perfect place to enjoy breakfast or lunch. Getting fresh fruit from the bar that hasn’t been marinating in a plastic container for days and coffee that (hot take!) tastes better than the coffee from Coro and is a fraction of the price is unique to only the Rat. Not to mention the muffins that are always perfectly warm and melty, and how no other dining hall’s baked items can even compare by a fraction to the Rat baked goods.
The vibe the Rat gives off is that it doesn’t feel like the worst thing in the world to sit alone and do homework, compared to other dining halls where eating alone feels impossible. The sexual tension between someone who is sitting at the same table as me at the Rat is so similar to how every mediocre person at the airport is the most attractive person I’ve ever seen. Along with trying to look cute at my table while doing homework in case someone hot sits across from me, I dress for the Rat itself. The feeling of walking down to the main line of food feels like I get to show off my best outfit, and something about the way the tables are situated makes it feel as if everyone is looking at you.
The Rat is beyond any other BC dining experience. If anyone outside of BC asks how the dining is, I am hesitant to say that it is just okay, because the Rat provides food, service, and vibes that are out of this world. As many of us know, there is so much to complain about all the time at this school, but the Rat is one of those things that BC just does right.
Short n’ Sweet
