Dear Ford Food Court,

It turns out one month is long enough to feel strong emotions about a dining hall (especially when it’s a ten-minute walk away). Breakfast required extra early wake-ups. Lunch demanded speed-walking. Dinner tested our survival skills in the cold. And yet, it was always worth going.

With you, things were never boring. You hosted dances. You welcomed children, adults, and students; air hockey games that definitely got louder than necessary; MB140 concerts that stopped us mid-bite; and conversations that started insignificant but somehow became the best parts of the day.

Homework sometimes got done, short discussions often turned into full-blown debates, and friendships formed over cereal bowls and team dinners. We laughed across your tables, called after friends, and our ordinary meals created memories forever. It felt chaotic, but in the best way.

You were many things: a dining hall, a meeting space, a study area, and the reason everyone on campus developed exceptional walking speed. But more importantly, you were the spot where we had countless experiences—both sweet and bitter.

So with the opening of the new dining hall, saying goodbye feels a little strange. But Ford Food Court, you’ve done enough. It’s time to rest. (And time for everyone else to enjoy shorter walks, too.)