Author Archives: Eric Dodds

Feel free to do this out of spite.

That’s right. Paper. How is this possible, you may ask? Well I’ll tell ya, back in the day, paper was everywhere. In your printer trays, your newspapers, your course guides. Today? Not so much.

When I was a freshman at this fine institution, there was so much paper that we didn’t know what to do with it all. Some days I’d just see people wearing it around all over their bodies, just for the hell of it. Silly? Sure, but we were young and stupid.

These days, those displays of youthful innocence and exuberance are gone. We’re taught to treat each piece of paper like it’s literally part of a tree and the “environment.” That’s all well and good. I like the environment. I live in one. It provides me oxygen and other useful things like that.

Things that used to be better when I was your age… Paper.

By Eric Dodds

Posted in Musings, Nostalgia One comment

So when I posted Part One, I said Part Two would be along the following week, but I needed a little more time to do some research about these dining halls that have been disappointing me (and by extension, the student body) this year. Or I’ve been sick and studying for midterms. Anyhow, on with the list…

3. Poor Seating Options (Biggest Offender: Whitman)

Probably shouldn’t have left this one off the initial entry, since this is the most egregious dining hall oversight on campus. Whitman — possibly the most popular dining hall on campus (at least over the last couple years) — has the most limited seating of all the residential colleges. A few booths, a bunch of round and square tables of various lengths. Tons of open space, just begging to be filled with larger tables and more chairs. Instead, it’s filled with hungry students looking for those things. I know, ridiculous, right? How is this possible, you might ask. I don’t know. All I know is that unless I feel like playing musical chairs before eating, I don’t go to Whitman.

Things that used to be better when I was your age… Dining Halls, Pt. 2

By Eric Dodds

Posted in Musings, Nostalgia Leave a comment

Now I know what you’re thinking: “But Eric, almost all the dining halls on campus have been remodeled, renovated, or created in the last four years.” True. Doesn’t mean they’ve been improved.

I may not eat in the dining halls as much as I once did, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t noticed some of the big changes that have taken place since I was a freshman.

Here are a few “improvements” that have taken place in the last few years…

1. Healthier Food (Biggest Offender: Whitman)
Maybe I’m way off base here, but I thought the point of being in college was being able to clog my arteries for four years without any repercussions. Back in the day, I could have sworn that there were at least two fried options every night, in every dining hall. Delicious. I could have fried chicken, with a side of French Fries, and a fat-full bowl of ice cream. I wouldn’t need to eat again for at least another hour or two.

These days, though, fried food is frowned up. Apparently it’s “bad for you,” or some such nonsense. If it were so bad for me, then why does it taste so incredible? You really just can’t get the same sort of satisfaction out of a tofu steak or a wheatgrass burger. Don’t even get me started on the salad bar.

Things that used to be better when I was your age… Dining Halls, Pt. 1.

By Eric Dodds

Posted in Musings, Nostalgia Tagged breaded chicken cutlets, Dining halls, food God, Forbes, health, healthy food, Whitman One comment

This guy? He's not here. He won't help you.

When you’re young, being sick is awesome. About 90% of the time you’re only kind of sick. Only mostly sick. You’re sick enough that all you can do for the entire day is sit around, watch TV and drink soup. On occasion, there’s that rare 10% where you’re actually in some sort of real pain, which sucks. But most of the time? Awesome.

Back in elementary school, you run a little fever, have a bad sore throat, or spend the night vomiting, you’ve got yourself an automatic Get-Out-of-School-Free card. Congratulations. Everyone feels bad for you, your mom waits on you rather than nagging you to clean your room, and you don’t have to do ANYTHING. Ah yes, those were the days.

Now? Not so much.

Things that used to be better when I was your age… Being sick.

By Eric Dodds

Posted in Musings, Nostalgia One comment

I remember a time, not so very long ago, when jobs were just these things that old people had to get when they left college. It didn’t sound like very much fun. After all, you had to leave college and go into this “real world” that everyone is always talking about. No more intramural sports, no more binge-drinking, no more co-eds.

On the other hand, it sounded kind of cute. All you had to do — from what I was told — was show up to the office of your choice a couple months after graduating, present your Princeton diploma, and voila, instant job (six-figure salary to be determined)! Sure, it wasn’t going to be college, but it didn’t seem all bad.

Now? We’re all fucked.

Things that used to be better when I was your age… Jobs.

By Eric Dodds

Posted in Musings, Nostalgia Tagged Bain, Barclays, Billy Madison, Career Services, employment, graduation, jobs, Lehman Brothers, McKinsey, Princeton, seniors, the real world, unemployment Leave a comment