Chicken Fingers at the Ratty

I drove down to Providence last night with my friend Michelle because she was speaking at a student group we were a part of while in college. She did a great job, by the way, but this posting is about Chicken Fingers. Our cafeteria at college was called the "Ratty," [don't think about the name too much] and I just loved the Ratty. Kellie and I were what we called "Ratty Lifers," which meant we were on highest meal plan all four years of college clocking in at 20 meals a week. We personally think we should be able to eat at the Ratty free for life. Like most students, Kellie and I loved Chicken Finger day at the Ratty. By our senior year, Chicken Finger day occurred on a fairly regular basis, every other Thursday at lunch. Chicken Fingers were always served in conjunction with Cheese Ravioli which was a bit of a bummer because both were such tasty hot lunch options.

The Pact
At the start of our senior year, Kellie and I made pact to never miss Chicken Finger day that entire year. We wouldn't always eat lunch together, but we would hold each other accountable to this and ask each other if we had had chicken fingers. We missed chicken fingers for lunch maybe once or twice and the guilty party would almost always get mild scolding about keeping our promises and the importance of not missing the wonderful chicken fingers during our last year of Ratty bliss. Our friend Corinna always ate cheese ravioli on those days which seemed odd. If you're going to stand in the really long line for hot lunches and not eat chicken fingers, but eat cheese ravioli...what's the point of waiting in line, you might as well just eat a sandwich or burger from the much shorter sandwich line. Corinna would always chuckle at our delight over our plate of chicken fingers while she ate her cheese ravioli. Turns out she doesn't like chicken fingers which I find odd, but seeing how I try hard to be open minded, I'm now OK accepting Corinna for what she chooses not to eat. Maybe she just really likes cheese ravioli.

Why are they so darned tasty?
I'm not sure why the Ratty's chicken fingers are so good. Everyone (except Corinna) loved them in college. They must have been processed and frozen, but maybe the fryolaters were at just the right temperature. Maybe it was the little plastic cups you filled with sweet and sour sauce or BBQ sauce or my favorite, honey. Maybe it was because you could eat as many chicken fingers as you wanted granted you were willing to wait in line. I've almost given up trying to find a chicken finger as good as the Ratty's.

The Lines
There would always be huge lines for chicken finger day and the lunch servers usually served up fairly precise portions of chicken fingers, 4-5 per person. Chicken Finger day would always spark lively counterculture anti-establishment discussions about the injustice of the Ratty's policy for seconds. One could cut in line for seconds if they brought their plate with them. Normally this practice was not really a problem, but on chicken finger day...the sight of football players cutting in line for their thirds and fourths of chicken fingers further delaying a crowd of hungry salivating students their first plate of chicken fingers...it's a powder keg ready to blow. We also speculated that if one was large and played football, one would be granted more chicken fingers per serving than the regular sized folks.

The Motherlode
Not having a linebacker physique, I can't attest to whether this rumor was true. However, there was one chicken finger day I hit the motherlode when I was served a pile of chicken fingers, 9-10 to be exact. I've never figured out why they thought I would eat that much of a good thing, but my large plate of chicken fingers provoked another round of lively banter at the lunch table. "Why does Ann get 10 chicken fingers, I only got three which is less than the usual serving size." I generously shared my bounty of chicken fingers with my lunch friends which made them happy because they didn't have to stand in line. As much as I love chicken fingers, I never eat more than the normal portion. I usually have no qualms throwing away food and I have no hopes of ever becoming a member of the "clean plate club," but chicken fingers are a different story. I wasn't going to eat all 10, but I didn't want to throw them away. They're such a valuable commodity, I could conceivably be socially ostracized for wasting chicken fingers.

An Oral Folk History
If you are currently a college student and my comments seem oddly familiar, I just may be an alum. If you looking for a thesis topic and would like to do some research on the Ratty's Folk History from 1996-2000, I am a repository of knowledge when it comes to the dining halls, the intricacies of the meal plan system circa late 1990s including the flex point system, introduction of certain menu items and the introduction of certain food service apparatus such as milkshake machines. I try to keep my mind sharp by engaging fellow alums in lively conversations regarding favorite menu items, snack bars, and a chronology of dining services events include special dinners.

The Alumni Network
I may not know all the answers, but I am a part of a network of alums who may be able to help with your research. My coworker Steve enjoys the chicken fingers as well. My boss Greg enjoyed chicken patty sandwiches at the Ratty in the 1980s. I have several friends in the area such as Michelle who ate two ice cream cones a day her freshman year, loves Magic Bars and enjoys mini pumpkin loaves from the Ivy Room. My friend Marc who was a "Ratty Lifer" and used to sound off his opinions by provoking me to write inquisitive, but utterly obnoxious letters to the Ratty dietician. Incidentally the Ratty dietician is very nice and very informative. She once patiently informed me that we could not have a petting zoo during the carnival themed special dinner because the presence of livestock in close proximity to the food was in violation of USDA food guidelines. She would often encourage me to tell my "friends" to return items stolen from the Ratty or stop pilfering food from the Ratty.