By Zoey Olson
Saguaro City Reporter
Girls State is an event designed around civic engagement and leadership which draws in incredible young women from across the state. However, besides the campaigning, incoming citizens worry about one major aspect: the food.
During their very first dinner here at the University of Arizona, the citizens were pleasantly surprised by the quality of their meal. One citizen of Saguaro City, Abigale Dixon, stated that the meal, which consisted of salad, roasted squash, mashed potatoes, chicken with sauce as well as a slice of Funfetti cake, was “really good” and that she “heavily enjoyed the mashed potatoes”.
Mollie Dittmer, also a Saguaro resident, agreed that the mashed potatoes were delicious, but that she “didn’t really enjoy the chicken.”
This meal was not only delectable, but it also provided an opportunity for the incoming delegates to try out some new foods.
One citizen, Katya Hernandez tried out a salad for one of her first times ever, and I, a notoriously picky eater, thoroughly enjoyed the roasted squash.
However, not every meal has been one for the books. Monday’s lunch was viewed with suspicion as mysterious paper bags were lined up on tables, and many citizens were dismayed by the reveal of roast beef sandwiches.
We were primarily concerned with the texture and color of the roast beef, which seemed overly fatty and pink.
Although it was discovered the roast beef was supposed to be pink, as that’s generally considered a desirable color, many of us still found the texture and color somewhat disconcerting, lamenting that it certainly would have been cheaper to stick with a more traditional turkey sandwich.
Besides the sandwiches, the additional snacks in the bag also left something to be desired. For students like Abbie, who don’t especially like chips, the limited number of lunch snacks was disappointing.
The bags were also a disappointment for long time fruit enjoyers like Mollie, who described the pear from her bag as “the worst I’ve ever eaten.”
Thankfully, the Girls State shop had a wide selection of snacks and drinks for the girls to choose from.
Saguaro resident Trixie picked up a few bags of chips to snack on throughout the week alongside her new official Girls State graduation stole.
Especially sleepy residents, like myself, were also able to pick up a few Alani energy drinks which will function as a much-needed pick-me-up.
As this week of Girls State continues, citizens of this mythical 51st state can only hope for vastly improved lunches, and a continued streak of success for our filling and delicious dinners.