Everyone has thought it. We all know it’s true. It is time to come to terms with the unfortunate reality that the 459 Commons is significantly better than The 5. Ask any student who has ever been on a meal plan: if given the choice between the two dining halls, I guarantee they’d choose the 459 Commons.   
I live on the north side of campus, steps away from The 5. I know the place well, and spent nearly all of my first semester meal swipes there. It is, by far, the most convenient place for me to eat on campus. However, as the school year progresses, I find myself increasingly willing to make the 20-minute trek across campus to the 459 Commons.
For a while, the amount of effort needed to get there kept me at a distance. Trips to the 459 Commons were reserved for special occasions, or when visiting friends in that part of campus. However, it didn’t take more than a few times eating there for me to realize what we’ve all been missing out on over in north campus.  
The disparity in quality perplexes me. The dining halls are presented as complementary versions of the same restaurant, simply serving different areas of campus. They share common menu items, a similar layout and the same service hours. To the average outsider, the dining halls would appear essentially the same. It seems like LSU Dining intends for there to be continuity between the two, but something is definitely out of sync. Once you are entrenched in the monotony of a college meal plan, these subtleties become evident.
The difference between the Outtakes connected to each of the dining halls was probably the first incongruity I noticed. Don’t get me wrong, the Outtakes at the 5 is fine if you need a snack and it has been a lifesaver when I need something quickly or don’t feel like taking the time to sit down and eat.
However, the Outtakes attached to the 459 is basically a full-blown convenience store. It sells so many student essentials that The 5 just doesn’t. I can recall numerous times when I’ve needed something super simple, like soap, and have been out of luck when looking for it at The 5. In contrast, the 459 Outtakes is basically a college survival outpost, carrying everything from toiletries to cooking supplies.   
The most obvious critique of The 5 would, of course, be the food itself. The food always seems fresher and better at the 459 Commons. A great example of this and a major turning point for me in my separation from The 5 had to do with a recent shift in the 459 Common’s pizza.
For much of last semester, the pizza served at both dining halls was nothing special. It was doughy, greasy and obviously kept under a heat lamp for excessive amounts of time. Earlier this semester, the 459 Commons switched to a thin crust, more authentically Italian style of pizza, which seems to evade all of the nauseating qualities of its predecessor. The 5, of course, continues to serve the same gross, tired pizza.
The pizza is just one example of a larger disparity. The 459 is consistently praised for its homestyle section and incorporation of novelty, “gourmet” food stations which change daily. In contrast, students can all bond over their utter disgust with The 5’s salad bar. Many students have even found tiny bugs in the fruit served at the salad bar; I’ve been shown pictures and videos of this health violation.
It was appalling. While these incidents have been reported, and the photos and videos might’ve been taken some time ago, it shows a worrying lack of regard for students. As far as I’m aware, the 459 Commons has never had issues like this.
I’m not sure what the disconnect is. It seems that the University would want their dining halls to be consistent. The 5 is long overdue for an upgrade. It’d be nice to not have to walk across campus to get the most out of my meal plan. 
Evan Leonhard is an 19-year-old English and philosophy major from New Orleans, Louisiana.