For this article I once more considered writing about a number of pressing issues currently facing Vanderbilt students, including the drug scene, in which there is presently a huge open market available for any entrepreneur willing to accept a little risk. Perhaps equally important is why Michael Wilt should get off his high horse of self-pity and not spend entire articles whining about how much smarter he is than everyone else. But far more wide-reaching and valuable than either of these subjects is the issue of on-campus food. Your initial impulse might be to say: “I already know how bad the food is!” I, however, would like to correct that reaction.

People on campus are constantly complaining about the quality of the food available. But, let’s be fair: how bad is it really? I understand since we’re away from home, many people might feel it necessary to point out how gross and greasy the food is here or, alternately, how much more delicious is the food their personal chef cooks back home. I have trouble understanding these elitist tastes when it comes to food. Maybe I have poor taste and less appreciation for fine dining, but for me, food is food (within reason).

Clearly it is important to eat healthily and maintain a good variety, but Vanderbilt is pretty good about offering diverse options, especially if you’re willing to be creative and use munchie mart products. It is entirely possible to have healthy, delicious meals every day just by exploring on-campus options. And to be fair, no food — unless you go to a high-quality expensive restaurant — is going to match the treats with which your mom or household chef pampers you. On top of that, if you were allowed to eat at one and only one restaurant, even one with the highest quality food and a huge selection, before long you would, without a doubt, be complaining about the quality of that food. No matter what is made available to us on campus, it will soon become monotonous and lose much of its appeal.

Try to be reasonable about your expectations and make the best of your situation. When approaching food, just like approaching life, it’s best to be flexible and use a positive mindset or attitude. Instead of poking at your Branscomb Breakfast sausage in disgust and laughing about how you can’t believe you’re actually eating this, enjoy your biscuit and be grateful that there is somewhere you can get pre-made warm breakfast food at 4 a.m. on a Saturday. Trust me; you’ll be able to enjoy what you’re “stuck with” to a much greater extent. If it still really bothers you, eat somewhere else.

Whining to your friends about how terrible the food is or how you can’t believe they would serve such junk doesn’t make anything any better; it just makes you grumpy and irritating. And yes, I am fully aware of the irony of complaining about people complaining. With the above in mind, I am going on a mission to prove just how good on-campus eating can be.

Justin Poythress is a sophomore in Peabody College.