Standing in line for free food—every single week.
STANDING IN LINE FOR FREE FOOD—EVERY SINGLE WEEK.
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From the primal screams before finals to the whispered lore of secret societies, our institutions are steeped in traditions. Some we loved, some we tolerated, and some we probably tried to forget. Yet, among these grand, storied rituals, there was always something simpler, something almost mundane, that somehow lodged itself deeply in our collective memory: the weekly pilgrimage for free food.
Remember that line? Stretching around the building, rain or shine, snow or sweltering heat. It wasn't about the quality of the pizza or the novelty of the bagels. It was about the pause. A momentary break from the relentless grind, the deadlines, the weighty expectations. It was a space where you’d bump into classmates you hadn't seen all week, share a laugh, or commiserate over an upcoming exam. It was community, forged in the shared pursuit of a simple, no-cost snack.
The irony wasn’t lost on us, of course. Students at some of the most prestigious universities in the world, yet the allure of a free slice was irresistible. Maybe it was the brief illusion of scarcity in a world of abundance, or perhaps it was just the profound, universal appeal of getting something for nothing. Now, years later, whether you’re still navigating campus or charting your path in the world, you might find yourself surprisingly nostalgic for those queues. Those simple moments of connection, of shared humanity amidst the extraordinary pressure. They were traditions we never expected to miss, but somehow, they're the ones that stick.