Article by: Makenna Kemp, Contributing Writer

Being a first-year living on campus, I am living off of the dining hall a good majority of the time. No matter who you go to the dining hall with, even if you are just by yourself, the music played by your peers via the speakers in the Fresh Food Co. determines the vibe of the conversation and experience. I have compiled a list of some of the greatest songs I have heard in the dining hall and have rated them from 1-10 (1 being my least favorite and 10 being my favorite). 

1. Purple Rain by Prince– I truly wish I could put this higher because this is a fantastic song; however, this song is devastating. The pure emotion coming from Prince is unmatched. I love this song for when I am crying in the shower, NOT when I am eating my weirdly moist spaghetti and meat sauce. 
2. Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer- This is an objectively fantastic song. It is an upbeat classic that is recognizable and fun to listen to. It doesn’t interrupt conversations and never gets skipped in my playlist. 
3. Wonderwall by Oasis– It is a recognizable song; if you aren’t talking to someone, you can easily listen to this song and maybe hum along to it as well. 
4. Poker Face by Lady Gaga– There have been a few times when I go to the dining hall when there is no one there, maybe at 4 p.m. or early in the morning for breakfast, that is when the best songs come on. One morning, this song came on with little to no one in the dining hall, and it was amazing. The song is nostalgic in all the right ways, even though we have no idea what she is saying. 
5. WOP by J. Dash– This is a road trip staple in my car, hearing it when I was in line for chicken nuggets was delightful, and looking around to see others recognize it was fun. 
6. It Was a Good Day by Ice Cube- It pumps you up without getting in the way of conversations. An absolute classic, upbeat and fun song that most of us memorized without realizing it. 
7. Loveeeee Song by Rihanna (Feat. Future)- fantastic vibes, it has a great rhythm and while it doesn’t interfere with conversations, it sure does enhance the vibes. 
8. Can’t Tell Me Nothing by Kanye West- I’m not the biggest Kanye fan, but his song has a great beat and vibe. Very upbeat and fun to listen to! 
9. The entirety of the KPop Demon Hunters sound track- Not sure why, but there will just be hours where the KPop demon hunters soundtrack will be bumping. I have never watched the movie myself but the workers recognize it which makes it amusing to wait in line and see them mouth the words.

The moment you have all been waiting for, the best song to hear in the dining hall at any time of day, no matter who you are with, what happened that day, or what you got for dinner, this song always makes me smile and look around in amusement as well as confusion. 
 10. The Star Spangled Banner by Peter Spier– I love this song because you can be having a conversation about a girl in your math class or your workout routine in the gym, and you get cut off by this very recognizable tune. It makes me laugh looking around the dining hall, seeing people standing up, taking their hats off, as well as laughing out of confusion. One time, around September, I was at the dining hall for about an hour chatting with a friend, and they played it 5 times!!!! It was both annoying and hilarious, and that is why it is so high in my book.