At the beginning of Fall Term, I made a vow to myself. I would try every dessert served in the Upper. Every. Single. One. Whilst I consumed numerous versions of cookies and cupcakes (including the maple bacon one) I took my friends along with me. What used to be a solo sugar-eating mission turned into a glucose-run army. Even with months of experience under my belt, I still felt hungry for more. I didn’t just want to try every dessert, I wanted to find the best dessert the Upper has served this school year. I sought out everyone I could find, students, teachers, faculty kids. Everyone. Dorothy Kearney ‘27 loves the rice krispie treats: “Last time they added Oreos and that was a fun surprise.” Selma Haft ‘27 favors the cookie bars. After many interviews, I tallied up the results. I interviewed a total of 137 people and about 60% of them liked the chocolate chip cookies the most. Coming in at second place are the Halloween-themed desserts with 23% of the surveyed naming them as their favorite. Clocking in at a close third are the Winter Holiday themed desserts with 17% of responses. I finally felt satisfied.
Looking back, my friends and I laugh because I spent so much time eating, reviewing, and interviewing others about their opinions on the Upper desserts. I developed an oddly intense obsession over something most people let fly over their heads. But I would not have changed a thing about my mission. Is surveying your peers to find out their favorite sweet treat the best use of your time? Most likely not for most people, but for me it was a meaningful task to dedicate my time to. As long as you believe in something and have the drive to put in the work, you should do it! Just like my passion for our dining hall desserts, if there is something you are equally passionate about, I encourage you to pursue it, and give it your all.