College students and fast food: A love story
Chase Bridges, Staff Writer
North Greenville University gives us a few different options when it comes to the school’s meal plan. Chick-Fil-A, Papa Johns and the cafeteria. But no matter how many options they give, one thing that will never change is college students driving off campus to fill their mouths with fast food.
There’s something about the culture that comes with being young and away at school that makes you crave greasy food from several different chain restaurants. For North Greenville University, one of these fast food chains is Cookout.
With meal equal ending at 8 p.m. every night, where else can NGU students go to get food as late as 11 p.m., 12 p.m. or even 1 a.m.? They drive in droves to the Cookout parking lot, meeting with their friends.
Kwame Livingston, a junior sports management major spoke about his experiences with fast food and in particular, Cookout.
“Cookout is just the spot. If it’s two in the morning and I need some quesadillas, you can bet that I’ll be pulling up to Cookout with my boys. Cookout and Waffle House are really the only two things open that late.” Livingston said.
Livingston makes another point about fast food culture at North Greenville when he mentioned Waffle House. It has become ingrained in the student body culture to go and visit the closest Waffle House in the middle of the night with your friends.
This is something that comes from having a campus that can be considered “in the middle of nowhere.” There are not a lot of options when it comes to late night dining. Financially, it’s not always the easiest thing to be part of.
Jarred Miller, a senior music education major spoke about hanging out at these fast food places while on a budget.
“Sometimes you just have to guilt someone into paying for yours. If someone invites you to Cookout then just tell them ‘Sorry, I can’t afford it,’ and then fake cry a little. Works every time.” Miller said.
Miller then guilted me into buying him some chips from the General Store.
Fast Food will always be part of North Greenville and college culture. It’s almost a symbiotic relationship between business owners and broke college students begging for the greasy nourishment that only a place like McDonalds or Taco Bell can provide.
A poll asking North Greenville students to choose their favorite fast food to get at school had the following results; 50 students said Waffle House, 34 claimed Cookout, and 12 chose McDonald’s.
In response to what his favorite fast food is, Jarred Miller said, “I don’t know. People stopped inviting me because I always play K-Pop in the car on the way there. But probably Wendy’s.”
North Greenville University is home to a lot of traditions, and the most delicious one is the late night fast food trips.
