Crossroads Cafeteria, Berkeley, CA: where hungry, broke, Cal students refuel their stress-ridden, sleep-deprived bodies on a daily basis. The cafeteria, also referred to as “Croads” by some, is a campus hotspot for gossip and social activity; the lines inside are ubiquitous with buzzing conversation and action. For seven days I witnessed and documented the incidents that took place there. You may ask what interesting happenings occur during dinnertime lines at this always-crowded food source, and I have the answer.
Day One: Monday 6-6:30pm
It’s a noisy evening at Croads and the lines are ridiculously long. In order to prevent time loss, students skip looking at the menu, get in line, and wait for their surprise meal. (Berkeley has enabled them to develop deductive reasoning skills, which they use to determine that lengthy lines equal good food.) While not so patiently waiting in line, students are debating about the abortion protest on Sproul Plaza. “How is it okay to post giant posters of bloody baby fetuses?” “So you’re saying that a person’s free choice should not be recognized and allowed?” It’s getting a little ugly. Woah! All of a sudden I see someone whip past the line to the front and receive his meal. How can this be?! Then the realization hits: he must be an athlete. No one else seems to notice this atrocity and protest its occurrence, which is unusual of the typical Cal student. Instead they observe and comment on the length of the line, sparking conversations between strangers about the sunny weather. Boring.
Day Two: Tuesday 6:50-7:30pm
Tonight is a little calmer and everyone is huddled and close to one another due to the windy, cold weather. Students are discussing upcoming homework assignments and complaining about midterms after Halloween weekend. One girl is VERY excited for the apple crisp as seen by the wildness in her eyes when she spots the delectable dessert; perhaps she will take two servings rather than one, proving the mythical freshman 15 correct. A group of girls is animatedly giggling and whispering which denotes an extreme gossip session. The other appealing event taking place is between two boys in line who are comparing “battle wounds.” I wonder if they are on a sport and if so, hooray that they aren’t cutting the line!!
Day Three: Wednesday 6:20-7pm
Well first of all, the line to get inside Crossroads is all the way down the steps in front; great start to my evening. At the Blue Plate Special line a boy just dropped his cup and another guy ran, correction sprinted, to pick up the cup and handed it back while yelling, “F**k yeah!” Maybe he was testing out his ninja skills. Definitely one of the strangest things I have ever seen. 
Cafeterias have multiple functions other than for eating—they are perfect for people watching and, as proven by a tall boy standing in line, scoping out hotties. The question going through his mind right now: to make a move or to not make a move on the girl standing in front of him? Too late because she sees her friend and they share a big hug and a few words before she departs.
Day Four: Thursday 6:45-7:15pm
The polls are in and the majority of girls talking in line are going to be Boy Scouts, Tom Cruise from Risky Business, or G.I. Jane for Halloween. The festivities begin tonight! Hopefully eating the food at Crossroads, such as the mysterious “influenced vegetable soup,” will not deter students from their plans. At least the pizza counter is dependable with its constant crowd awaiting the delicious, baked, cheesy, goodness. My eyes roam to a boyfriend and girlfriend standing in line, holding hands, and gazing into one another’s eyes like there is no one else in the world. I have the sudden urge to get up and smack their faces because I don’t want to be witnessing their goober-type-love. Others around me are complaining about the lack of Lucky Charms at the cereal bar. Oh, the concerns of students.
Day Five: Friday 6:45-7:20pm
Crossroads is known for its multitude of food choices and Katie Dowd at The Daily Californian sums it up pretty well, “’Sweet baby Jesus!’ you say the first time you walk into Crossroads. ‘There are so many choices!’” However, the abundance of possibilities does not prevent the students standing in front of me from trash talking the froyo flavors (banana and passion fruit??) and other cafeteria offerings. Great, one of them just noticed that I’m documenting everything that is going on…how awkward.
I have noticed that many students have devised an interesting plan of attack for the defeating the lines. Groups of friends will choose one person to get into a long line while the others go through the rest of the cafeteria and memorize the options. Then they reconvene with the person waiting in line and discuss which choices they prefer and either split up or stay together depending on what they want. Only Berkeley students would be so ingenious.
Day Six: Saturday 7:05-7:40pm
It’s Halloween night and about half the school is M.I.A.; this is good for Croads because the lines are not long at all! Some groups are already dressed and ready for the parties tonight—there is even a lone boy dressed up as Tigger. Everyone is discussing their strategies for the evening and it makes me recognize how united we are as a UC Berkeley community. We are great multi-taskers: studying for a midterm and then going out at night. We also have the tendency to have random conversations about random subjects anywhere and everywhere. At Crossroads I witness a group of students conversing about nuclear physics as if it were a normal conversation topic and another group of sorority girls talking about upcoming themed events. The concept of community is even present at the compost line where I just saw a boy help a stranger scrape his bowl clean because his hands were full. How heart warming.
Day Seven: Sunday 6:50-7:30pm
This final day of the weekend is characterized by a flurry of students trying to finish homework before the next school week begins. Hungover, tired, and stressed faces occupy the cafeteria tonight after the craziness from Halloween celebrations. There’s a lethargic feeling in the air convincing me to just fall asleep where I’m sitting. Despite the sluggish atmosphere there is the jingle of laughter and storytelling of wild Halloween events. A girl is pushing her guy friend and pretending to be mad, but her flirty pout suggests otherwise. Apparently, some students tried trick or treating last night and were rejected. I am not surprised in the least bit.
After my week of observations at Crossroads, I have a newfound respect for the cafeteria. Although in some opinions it may be lacking in food quality, it makes up for it by being a great location for conversation and social activity. It is overflowing with groups of friends, people meeting one another, and students sharing gossip while eating a meal. I think that I might actually defend Croads the next time I hear someone complain about it. After all, Cal Dining says that it is “the first green-certified building on Cal’s campus and the nation’s first organic certified kitchen on a college campus.” That’s pretty impressive.
Sources: http://www.dailycal.org/article/106295/the_dc_guide
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