Gutting the Conversation Around Food, Body and Health

Editor’s Note: This piece mentions disordered eating behaviors. Trying to eat healthily and consistently at college is a daunting task for anyone. It becomes a monumental task when faced with health issues that warrant food restrictions and limitations and few resources to go around. Over the past year, I’ve learned that a lot of –– what I previously considered to be –– physical symptoms of anxiety and stress, were mostly pre-existing gastrointestinal (GI, a fancy way to say “stomach”) issues. My relationship with food has waxed and waned to an occasionally toxic degree; I’m pretty sure that I am not the only one.

The Tale of the Marvelous “Gay Little Monkey Latte” at Green Dragon

After plenty of all-nighters, I walked up to the ordering window in Green Dragon Cafe, located on the basement level of Sibley Hall, craving a drink with caffeine and warmth. Excitedly, I read over the menu board, wanting to get something new. I ended up trying a mysterious new drink called  the “gay little monkey latte.” I have no regrets. 

This “mystery” drink was created by AAP student and Green Dragon barista Hamza Ayad ‘26. Although Ayad emphasized that the ingredients would not be publicly known until the drink was no longer being offered, I found the creative recipe behind the drink oddly exciting. The concept is equally unique, fun and empowering.

Behind the Scenes of Cornell Dining: Meet Tashi Mondak

BY Noga Tenzin and Daniela Rojas

Tashi Mondak, who has worked as a Food Service employee at Cornell for over eight years, offers a perspective to students regarding the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of Cornell Dining: the time, effort and energy it takes to work in dining often goes unnoticed. What is unnoticed should often be appreciated, especially in the world of food service. Mondak’s role has changed overtime, from Statler hotel as dishwasher, to working in Mac’s Cafe and Cornell Catering, to his current job in Morrison Dining. He notes the differences in atmosphere within a particular eatery is largely dependent on the number of diners that come on a daily basis. Mac’s Cafe typically only has 1,000 people per day, whereas Morrison Dining can have up to 5,000.

Foodie Fuel: Nutritious Foods that Also Satisfy the Sweet Spot

As a First-Year student at Cornell, the dining halls have totally won me over. From french fries at North Star to warm cookies at Morrison, it seems as though everywhere I turn there is something delicious to eat. However, ever since I’ve gotten here, I’ve fallen victim to “college air.” What is “college air,” you ask? It is very similar to the phenomenon “school air” that you may have heard about back in high school. Basically, “school air” is the mysterious composition of the atmosphere in a high school that causes one’s appearance to go from perfectly put together in the morning to messy and grimey by the end of the school day.

Don’t Throw Your Education Away: Compost it Instead

Imagine this. You’ve just had a delicious breakfast at Morrison. You filled your plate high with steaming  pancakes and berries, tater tots, and a couple of hard-boiled protein-packed eggs. You even went back to the dessert bar for a waffle, but ended up only eating half. Now, you’re walking to the dish drop with your fork, a couple of dirty napkins, crumbled egg shells and that oddly enticing half-waffle.

Aunt Flow’s Kitchen Disrupts the Flow of Menstrual Stigma

Growing up with gut-twisting menstrual cramps, Armita Jamshidi ‘25 (majoring in Computer Science and College Scholar, focusing on the intersection between entrepreneurship and women’s health) knew one thing: she didn’t deserve to suffer through her pain. Uncomfortable with the possible long-term consequences of traditional pain medication, Jamshidi instead relied on her grandma’s soothing Middle-Eastern recipes. Inspired by these recipes, she launched her small business in 2022 as She Balls. Now known as Aunt Flow’s Kitchen, her company is dedicated to helping menstruators mitigate period cramps with grandma-approved “Cramp Bites.”

Coming to Cornell, Jamshidi was unable to replicate her comfort foods due to there being no Middle Eastern grocery stores in a local radius. As her cramps worsened, she ended up in the E.R. and struggled to get through daily life.

Finding A Passion for Cooking Through Simple and Quick Recipes

After returning from a semester abroad and finally having my own kitchen, I made it my mission to truly begin cooking for myself similar to the way I grew up. I began with scouring NYT Cooking articles for recipes that I thought were doable, but again with ingredient lists with ten, fifteen or even twenty components, it was just not something I was willing to do. After talking to my dad about my issues, he recommended a Jamie Oliver cookbook called 5 Ingredients.

Fast Food Dupes

Although fast food can be delicious and convenient, you can save money and maintain your health by making your own versions of your favorite commercialized treats in one of Cornell’s many dining halls. Although some foods you create at the dining hall may still have a high calorie count, it beats fast food that is filled with preservatives and additives. Additionally, you can customize your fast food dupe to make your meal as healthy (or not) as you like.

The Rise (and fall?) of CELSIUS Energy Drinks at Cornell

While CELSIUS drinks and their nutrition labels may appear clean, health-oriented and energizing on shelves, a lot more is going on behind the scenes with this company’s class action lawsuit and marketing promotion. These factors very well could be related to the recent seemingly absurd surplus of drinks found in convenience stores across campus and the reason behind how these drinks have become so accessible and popular at Cornell. Despite being in a complicated and intriguing situation, these drinks are a hit in taking part to energize our student population and may be worth a try for those experienced with caffeine and looking for a new energy drink that is simpler and more effective.