A new year is upon at MSU and, for freshmen, this means talk of the dreaded “freshman 15.”
Although many freshmen know that the “freshman 15” is a joke, some might be surprised to find out how much they can eat on campus. All of the food they can eat with one swipe of their ID cards is at the dining halls and, as a result, they could gain weight throughout the course of the year.
Engineering freshman Jennifer Le has heard the jokes and rumors surrounding the freshman fifteen but said she knows that there is some honest truth behind it.
“I’ve heard how freshmen usually gain weight by constantly eating the cafeteria food,” Le said. “I believe it’s more reality than myth, especially because the cafeteria food is really fattening and kids can get really hungry.”
If the myth does actually have some reality based in it, some students are taking control to make sure that it doesn’t become a reality for them.
Special education freshman Jessica Douglas knows the risks of not controlling what she eats and does her part in making sure that the “freshman fifteen” does not affect her during the course of the year.
“I actually joined the rowing team to help stay in shape,” Douglas said. ‘I’m also getting a gym membership at Powerhouse Fitness, I run a lot, watch what I eat and try not to stay in the dining hall all day long.”
Douglas said she was surprised by the amount of food available at MSU — she also noted the food on campus was healthier than the food she was used to eat while in high school.
“I didn’t really know what to expect when I came here,” Douglas said.
Human biology freshman Jolie Habashy stays in shape by taking advantage of MSU’s walking trails and size of campus.
Unlike Douglas, Habashy was not surprised when experiencing MSU’s dining halls for the first time. However, she has taken measures to avoid the gain w
“I sometimes long board, but I mostly walk to class,” Habashy said. “It’s not really a shock, I expected (the variety of food) to be there, because I’ve been told what my dining plan would be like.”
