The Mac Shack blues

Certain things are simply symbolic of the American way -- apple pie, cowboys, 4th of July barbecues, square-dancing, Homer Simpson, the death penalty, Monica Lewinsky, rehab… the list goes on. \nImagine the horror we here at the IDS editorial board felt upon hearing the news that RPS has decided to obliterate the presence of another long-standing American cultural tradition from the IU campus. \nYes, folks, as of next year we will no longer have the good fortune to fill our greedy little bellies with the fine cuisine of the one and only McDonald's. At least not on campus with meal points anyway. \nAs of May, the McDonald's in Read will no longer have a contract with the University. As a result, RPS is surveying students about their opinions on various other eateries it's considering as replacements for the good ol' golden arches. \nThe alternatives being considered would accept meal points and maintain approximately the same hours of operation as McDonald's, which currently stays open until 1 a.m. The three options are IUHop -- which would serve breakfast all day, an Italian eatery called Pasta Works, or a Mexican dive called Ole'. \nIUHop is obviously a watered-down version of IHOP, complete with potential copyright infringement and all. But what about the others? Call us ignorant, but, outside of sub-par, overpriced, public-institution food courts and some other obscure eateries, so-called restaurants like Pasta Works and Ole' don't actually exist. \nBesides, Wright food court has Sbarro and Mexican Connection, while Gresham has Antonini's Italian Eatery and Taco John's. Pasta and tacos are nothing new to IU. \nFurther examination of these options eliminates any potential argument that McDonald's is being replaced in favor of a healthier option (interestingly considering the new concern with student health by the IU administration). Nachos, pancakes, nor fettucine alfredo are considered to be particularly healthy. \nWe're all in favor for healthy eating options in the food court. Currently, there exists little balance between burgers, oily Asian food and pizza versus eating cold, brown-on-the-edge lettuce leaves and slimy tofu out of the salad bar. To be honest, none of these are particularly appetizing. The very thought of them make us pity the poor freshman that are held under bureaucratic duress to purchase a minimum of $2,500 worth of meal points, leaving them forced to choose between processed, fried lard puffs with a side of cow grease or veritable rabbit food. \nTherefore, we think that if you're going to end the student body's long running love affair with McDonalds, at least replace it with a recognizable name. If students are going to eat greasy, unhealthy food, at least let them eat something the American public has demonstrated approval of. There's a reason nobody has heard of Pasta Works or Ole'. Arby's, Wendy's, Taco Bell -- anything would be better than no-name pseudo Italian. \nIf we're going to have lipids coursing through our veins, we want them to be brand-name designer lipids. \nWe recommend that RPS tries a new approach, instead of searching for artery-clogging pseudo-restaurants, how about looking for something healthy and recognizable?