Welcome to Brandeis. Here, at America's ninth-most-liberal college campus, students can compete on our Quidditch team, live in gender-neutral housing, take part in boundless and spontaneous intellectual dialogue and audition for one of 11 official a cappella groups-each with its own quirky name and personality. In addition, students have the opportunity to major in a number of progressive fields such as Peace and Coexistence Studies or Health: Science, Society and Policy. Can't pick just one major? Not a problem: Many students at Brandeis major in two or three completely unrelated topics in addition to minoring in other fields. At Brandeis, you can act inside a top hat in the Spingold Theater Center,or take science classes inside Gerstenzang Science Complex, which was named for the inventor of the Q-tip. You can dance while painted in vibrant latex paint in Liquid Latex and even live in Usen Castle. It is clear that Brandeis' diverse opportunities and unique amenities act as magnets attracting an equally interesting and interested student body.However, Brandeis' cuisine cannot be considered one of the many idiosyncrasies that makes the University stand out. The manner by which the food is prepared and served is no different than the food at any college with mediocre dining services-and nothing threatens individuality like mediocrity.

I would like to think that for years after I graduate, I will embark on a hopeless search to find that diner that serves that perfect French toast I used to enjoy every Saturday at two in the morning with friends or a coffee shop environment that never failed to inspire a rushed last-minute philosophy paper like my college coffee shop. However, as it stands now, all I need to do to find similar settings off campus is walk into any Einstein Bros. Bagels shop or order French toast at any institutional Aramark cafeteria.

It is not the fault of any of Brandeis' current students or administrators that our school is set off from the city of Waltham. But around 9 p.m. on a Wednesday night, I would really like to be able to walk into a local coffee shop to do my homework rather than sit in the library or my dorm room. Especially considering the increased safety issues that arose last semester, I would not feel comfortable walking by myself to Moody Street after dark to study in a local coffee shop.

Perhaps Brandeis could absorb some local flavor to bring the same diversity to the food on campus that is already palpable in the rich campus culture. Schools such as Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Penn. have had popular local diners and restaurants open franchises on campus. Not only would this allow students to support local Waltham businesses, but it would also help Brandeis students feel like more of a part of the larger Waltham community. I would love to get sweet potato fries from the Watch City Brewing Company instead of fries in the Usdan Boulevard, Pad Thai from Baan Thai instead of a noodle bowl in the Usdan Café, or a quesadilla from Margarita's instead of from the Mexican station in the Boulevard. I doubt that these restaurants would protest the instant popularity that opening a franchise at Brandeis would bring to their off-campus establishments.

While I understand that these ideas may seem outlandish, I think it is important for the University to realize that these are ideas that are not only worth considering, but can come to fruition with persistent effort and change. To our credit, Cholmondeley's is moving in the right direction by serving products from local Lizzy's Ice Cream in an offbeat, chill environment while showcasing off-the-map art, music groups and comedy acts.

In a separate vein, perhaps allowing Brandeis business majors to found and run their own eatery would provide great on-campus experiences for students. Just as the Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps provides a unique opportunity for students considering a career in medicine or dealing with patient contact to completely run their own emergency response service, designing and managing an on-campus restaurant would provide similar experiences for business majors.

Though the goal of campus dining is to literally "serve" students their food, it would be nice to see Brandeis apply its innovative outlook on service to campus dining by allowing dining to serve both students' interests and careers as well as the Waltham community-in addition to students' appetites.