Programs on Food Network beneficial for students
By David Wonpu
Dorm life, forever romanticized on television as a never-ending, alcohol-induced orgy-a-thon, has its share of ruts. There's the "I-shouldn't-be-eating-a-bowl-of-Lucky-Charms-at-three-in-the-morning" rut, the "I'm-paying-a-lot-of-money-to-go-to-this-school-but-don't-even-care-about-doing-my-homework" rut, and the "If-I-don't-remember-sweating-then-I-don't-need-to-do-my-laundry-this-month" rut.
Among these slothful and self-destructive classics, however, is the most debilitating rut of them all: The "Three-P" rut. "Three P," as in, Pop-Tarts for breakfast, pizza for lunch and pasta for dinner. Besides alternating between strawberry and cinnamon apple toaster pastries, this rut is a common pitfall affording not so much as the mere semblance of variety.
There is a cure for the dreaded, pounds-packing "Three-P" rut, however: having the Food Network on LINC-TV.
"It should definitely be on LINC," said Katherine Nicholson, an undeclared freshman. "You get some really great ideas for food." Sophomore theater major Thomas Johnson adds that the Food Network is "one of the channels I miss. Food Network is where I learn how to cook."
Food Network's lineup certainly supports their sentiments. There's "Good Eats with Alton Brown," a show devoted to the demystifying of how many favorite foods are prepared. The show is complete with plenty of close-ups, text which clearly informs the viewer about the various ingredients in a given recipe, and Brown's own mad scientist, "I've-got-an-easier-way-to-prepare-everything," shtick.
Then there's "Everyday Italian," hosted by Giada De Laurentiis. The show's theme is updated Italian fare, with easy recipes and healthier-yet-still-satisfying eating.
Finally, there's Rachael Ray, the current undisputed queen of the Food Network. Ray hosts four different shows on the network, not to mention a daytime talk show, as well.
Ubiquitous as she is, "30 Minute Meals" is still her claim to fame. The show involves Ray making a complete meal in half an hour.
The recipes are always delicious, if not necessarily the healthiest because of the need to use canned and processed foods at times to meet the 30-minute time table.
But the network isn't just about turning cooking novices into culinary masters. As its tag line suggests, the Food Network is "way more than cooking." "A lot of people would watch it just because it's pretty entertaining," said undeclared freshman Meredith Pawlusiak.
Indeed, there are several truly interesting programs, most part of the network's nighttime programming, which rival anything else on cable television. "Unwrapped" and "The Secret Life Of" focus on the history of our favorite foods, from bread and chocolate to the ICEE and diner fare. "Ham on the Street" host George Duran prepares his always unique and sometimes exotic recipes for people on the street to sample.
The network is both educational and entertaining. It's usually included in domestic cable packages. So why isn't it on LINC-TV?
"The school has a lodging package with DirecTV," says Nancy Cutler of Media Services. "Our package isn't the same as what might be available to students at home."
Asked whether or not the Food Network could be added to the LINC lineup, Cutler said, "It's really a matter of cost. For example, ESPN is a very expensive channel. And some channels can't be included in the package, no matter what."
Cutler added that "the current package seems to fit the needs of the students well. I think most students don't have the time to make television a priority anyway. I get maybe six to eight e-mails a year requesting certain channels to be added."
The lack of requests for the channel reflect the sentiment of students like junior finance major Meghan Chavez, who said that "most people who live on campus don't have kitchens, so it wouldn't really be useful." Chavez has a valid point.
Still, with housing costs in the neighborhood of $10,000 annually, one can't help but wonder why the school can't afford more channels.
Contact David Wonpu at dwonpu@scu.edu.