Cherubs use creativity to make cafeteria meals more appealing

By Maddie Boardman

"You don’t eat there because you want it to taste good,” said Alli Hoff, a cherub from Emmaus, Pa. “You eat there so you don’t pass out.”

Food options at 1835 Hinman were less than satisfying at times which prompted cherubs to get in touch with their creativity.

Marissa Mumford, a cherub from Westfield, N.J., chose to combine fro-yo with another one of her favorite desserts, cookies.

“The cafeteria puts out certain varieties of cookies,: chocolate chip, m&m, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, and then the greatest kind – double chocolate,” Mumford said. “Double chocolate is the kind I like to use to make chipwiches. You take two cookies, and you put chocolate-vanilla swirl fro-yo between them. Then, if you’re feeling daring, you can put sprinkles or caramel sauce in a bowl and roll the chipwich in it.”

Hoff mixed up her dessert in a different way.
“I usually put about 10 ladles of chocolate sauce in with my chocolate fro-yo and then add sprinkles and Oreo bits and sometimes chocolate chips, but a lot of the time the theater cherubs use up all the toppings before I can get to them,” Hoff said.

Desserts are always popular at Hinman - a slice of chocolate cake, pumpkin bread, cheesecake, or the personal favorite of Katie Sanders, a cherub from Newton, Mass., Rice Krispie treats.

“I love Rice Krispie treats. See this?” Sanders said, patting her stomach. “This is my Rice Krispie treat pouch. I usually average about five a day. One time, though, I had six at lunch and then another one later.”

However, cherubs can’t survive on dessert alone. Dallas Wright, a cherub from Chicago enjoyed the salad while Micah Farver, a cherub from Portland, Ore., preferred the chicken sandwiches.

“My least favorite thing was the grilled cheese sandwiches,” said Wright. “They could have them in auto shops and you could oil car parts with them.”

Hinman also offers soup, sandwich fixings, pasta, and the occasional burrito.

“My least favorite thing was the chicken noodle soup,” said Mumford. “There were literally some purple pieces in there.”

Click here to hear a podcast straight from a Hinman food expert. Producer Gabe Debenedetti.

Esther Zuckerman, Justin Schecker, and Eric Mayo cozy up around the lunch table at Hinman.

Molly Davis and Sarah Nolen show off their sundae-making skills.

A dessert at Hinman.

Esther Zuckerman, a cherub from Encino, Calif. combined eggs and cheese to make her own version of scrambled eggs - while Katie Tang, a cherub from East Amherst, N.Y. switched up her daily routine by dipping her french fries in sour cream.

“The thing is, you have to find the three things you like and then accept the fact that you’re going to eat the same thing for every meal,” Hoff said. “It can only get better if you’re a little bit creative.”