Words by Cecily Pregerson SC ’29, Graphic by Xanthe McGrath SC ’29

Sometimes, when my friends and I walk into Malott, we notice a significant amount of couples taking up residence in Seal Court and out front. We haven’t noticed any consistency with the menu or schedule that would account for this, and the population increase is always met with slight humor. My roommates will often say that if they were going on a date, they would not go to the dining hall. Although we seem to hold some kind of stigma against being outwardly cuffed in an eatery as public as the Scripps cafeteria, how much of it is rooted in the actual location or the nature of being in a college relationship? I am curious about our dining halls, especially their potential to perpetuate romance or humiliation when chosen as a date night destination. 

There are many valid reasons for going to a dining hall on a date. First and foremost, at this point in our financial journeys, we’re all a bit cheap. Teetering on the edge of careless childhood spending and desperate adulthood budgeting, we’re torn between saving our money and craving retail therapy. Especially here, where dining hall swipes, Claremont cash, and flex are often referred to as “fake money,” it can be hard to gauge our economical bandwidth. When I asked a friend what her ideal date would look like, she responded, “Not in a dining hall. Dinner and froyo in the village is cuter.” But what about those forfeited meal swipes? It’s not always accessible to go off campus for a bit of pizzazz. The 5Cs may be able to cultivate a lovebird’s nest without the need to fly the coop (so to speak). For first dates or even an engagement so casual as a “hang out,” the dining halls offer an opportunity to save money and take advantage of already attainable resources. 

Furthermore, going to a dining hall can ease some of the initial nerves. At college, we find ourselves developing a dependent relationship on our dining halls, suctioning the closest thing we can get to kitchen comfort from our consistency. In lieu of a romantic excursion, it can be easier to work within the confines of our own chosen solace rather than dare to risk a village outing. We can make-believe house in our new dorms, but the dining halls are often what make us feel most at home. Building a date off of an already cultivated sense of reassurance is tempting, so we are drawn to a dining hall date night. 

The Claremont College’s dining halls also offer a lot of opportunity for romance. We are lucky to be able to choose between vibes, menus, and ambience. Does your date fit the tone of the infinitely abundant, cold, and airport-like environment of the Hoch? Or would you prefer to dabble in the long lines, tile floors, and home cooking-esque grub of Malott? I did some sleuthing amongst friends and acquaintances, and most of my interviewees said they would most likely choose Malott or Frary. Malott and Frary both have old-fashioned, dimly lit, and possibly romantic architecture. Although sometimes the food is nothing to write home about, the energy of the spaces hint that, with the right ambience, the dining halls may already have the tools to wingman even the most awkward of dates. 

Even those in long-distance relationships may choose among the dining halls for a reunion night-out. I asked a friend where she would bring her boyfriend, who goes to another college, and she said, “I would probably take him to Malott just because I love the vibe of the outside seating spots …and I also think it has the best food. Second option would possibly be the Hoch but I would sit outside, like maybe on the picnic tables at the front of Hoch.” Another friend said that she would bring her girlfriend “…to Malott and sit at like a table next to the pond for the ambience.” Clearly, Malott has won the most points for romance;. However, I have to recognize that as a Scripps student, many of my sources may have some inherent bias. Regardless, these viewpoints support that the dining halls definitely have the potential for date night.

If the dining halls are accessible, geographically and economically, and are ambient enough to withstand a range of relationships, why would one choose otherwise? And why is ridicule thea first instinct for many of us when we are privy to a dining hall date? When I interviewed my friend about dates with her long-distance girlfriend, she mentioned that bringing her to Mallott would also be “… kind of a hard launch.” Another friend said, “If I was going on a date with someone, I wouldn’t want anyone in my business, so I would go to Frank or Frary.” It seems that our eagerness to date is consistently met with caution. 

There is much less privacy at college; we feel constantly perceived, encountering opps around every corner like our lives depend on it. It is much harder to show your care for your partner while scratching dining hall silverware on plastic plates, surrounded by your Spanish professor and the track team. But at the same time, we are inclined to hide our relationships as if they are sources of embarrassment. Some friends have expressed that getting into a relationship early on in their college journeys may imply a lapse in ambition and independence. Others refer to the 2025 Vogue article by Chantè Joseph, “Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?,” that preaches the benefits of staying single. More have hinted that the bad vibes once attributed to PDA have simply been extended to any expression of romance or a relationship. In a time when we are encouraged to pave our own paths, prioritize personal growth, and rely only on ourselves, do we actually have less room for love, or are we just afraid of appearing “weak” in the face of it?

I think we need to practice being less preoccupied with how we seem, and more concerned with how we are. It is a challenge, but I think we can find that deep down, our capacity for love may supersede external implications of shame. College is a time for exploration, and growth is a product of togetherness. If our fear of bringing a date to a dining hall is inhibiting the chance for a connection, then we are not ready for it.