Freshmen Weigh in on Southside

By Broadside Correspondent Adam Sylvain

In the words of George Mason University freshman, Morgan Paugh, new students are “starting to feel the excitement” on campus. Fueling the excitement is the diverse and eclectic menu being offered at Southside, the university’s main dining facility.

Fellow freshman, Zachary Emmons concurs. “Dining at Southside is a lot better than I expected. I was expecting Mom’s cooking, and this is all really good.” Emmons’ inaugural meal at Southside consisted of penne in a marinara sauce. He has the Ultimate meal plan, and expects to be a frequent visitor to the dining hall.

Lines were long, and plates were full Thursday night for the first night of dining for freshmen students. Available entrees included enchiladas, corn dogs, tacos, and a full salad and pasta bar.

Even vegetarian diets were satisfied, at least for Charles Coats, who was very pleased with the meatless dining options.

“I just finished a lovely vegetable, tri-color pasta dish. On a scale of one to 10, I’d give it about an eight.” When asked what could make the meal better he didn’t shy away from offering his opinion. “It just really needs some cheese. Lots of cheese, not the fake processed stuff but tons of real cheese. Overall, I am satisfied with the vegetarian options at Southside.“

“It seems to be a lot of nice stuff and it’s made right in front of you so you know what’s in it. At a lot of places you’re really not sure of what you are getting, or what ingredients are used,” said Coats. Coats chose to attend Mason because he believed the Environmental Science program, his current major, far surpassed programs of other universities he applied to.

Once they are situated in their housing assignments, freshmen have plenty to look forward to. Throughout the coming week, student organizations will be making visits to Presidents Park and setting up