“Want to grab a meal?” I can’t tell you how many times a week I hear this question. It is probably one of the most common questions thrown around here at Princeton. Since everyone needs to eat, grabbing a meal is one of the easiest ways to chat with people. Whether you recently met someone and want to get to know them better, or you want to catch up with an old friend, a meal is always a good option.

If you were to ask a Princeton student on average how long he or she spends in a dining hall in a given week, I bet the number would surprise you. This is largely because the conversations in a dining hall are special. Time tends to stop and one becomes immersed in the conversation.  Sure, there are those days that you have to grab a quick meal in between class, but on average, Princeton students tend to spend their mealtime enjoying the company of others and having intellectual conversations.

I think this is because students enjoy engaging with one another. You never know what interesting thing someone is going to mention that launches into a long discussion. It could be politics, something one just learned in class, an interesting tidbit about one’s past or even what food is being served that day. It doesn’t really matter what the conversation starts with. It just matters where it goes.

Additionally, there are many lectures and conversations with faculty that occur over meal times that further add to the opportunities for interesting discussion over food. For example, over the past two weeks, I have attended a lecture about zebras in Kenya, a pre-vet guidance session, a Spanish table (where students in Spanish classes get together to practice their Spanish), a Hebrew learning session, as well as meetings for various clubs and departments I am part of.

When I was looking at colleges, it was my dinner conversation with my host at Princeton that made me realize Princeton was the school for me. We must have sat in the dining hall for almost two hours going through everything from research opportunities to campus sport culture. My conversation with my host made me realize how incredible people are at Princeton, and how much I wanted to engage with them all. I wanted more meaningful discussions, and I can honestly say now after being on campus for three years, that is exactly what I have gotten. I am still friends with my host today (I actually just got a meal with her last week), and I am constantly making new friends over meals.

So next time you’re looking to make some new friends or catch up with old ones, you know you can always rely on the handy phrase “want to get a meal?”

Every year in April the Arts Council of Princeton, Princeton undergraduates and the local Princeton community come together to host Communiversity ArtsFest. This event features more than 200 booths in which artists showcase their original artwork and crafts, local businesses sell fun and unique merchandise and chefs prepare delicious culinary treats. There are also six stages of continuous live entertainment highlighting local, as well as student, performers. Communiversity draws more than 40,000 people and is one of Central New Jersey’s largest and longest running cultural events.

This event is something Princeton students look forward to every year. It’s a great way for students to interact with and support the local community. It is also a way in which certain clubs on campus are able to highlight their work to a broader audience. For example, the Rocketry Club for the past few years has demonstrated rocket launches for visitors. Plus, there is always at least one club sponsoring a pie-in-your-face competition, which is always hilarious.

Another fun event that occurs in spring is TruckFest. The University brings in ten to twenty different food trucks for students to try. From gourmet hot dogs to cheesecake on a stick, TruckFest seems to have it all. Though the dining hall food here is delicious, there is nothing quite like trying fried mac and cheese or a nutella infused waffle. 

Lastly, the annual dodgeball tournament is a campus favorite. From 8 p.m. until whenever the last man standing is hit, student groups compete against one another in epic dodgeball games. There is pizza, music and lots of camaraderie as students try to win games for their team. Games are divided into large, medium and small groups, with a winner in each category. Residential colleges, eating clubs, sports teams and other student groups compete to assert their dominance in the grand game of dodgeball. Since most students are involved in many clubs and organizations, it is not uncommon to see someone running from one side of the gym to go play for another group he or she is a part of. It's a really fun event that most students look forward to each year.