Barnard's Big Sub Brings Students Together In A Celebration Of Food, Community, And Tradition

Upper West Side NY

12 November, 2021

10:30 AM

Description

Columbia Daily Spectator BY ASHLEY PELHAM AND FRANCESCA FIERRO NOVEMBER 11, 2021 A campus-wide countdown to 6 p.m, 750 feet of sub, and the eager rush to claim a slice: This is what Big Sub normally looks like. However, COVID-19 restrictions changed this cherished event this year. The annual Big Sub event has been one of Barnard's most beloved traditions for nearly 15 years. The excitement surrounding the event has rippled throughout campus and helped to foster a heightened sense of community. However, COVID-19 restrictions prevented many of the key elements that made Big Sub a special event from occurring. While the intent of the organizers was to capture the heart of Big Sub while still honoring COVID-19 protocols, many students felt that the essence of the event was lost. "It wasn't really the traditional Big Sub where it wraps around campus, and it's a community event," Evelyne Williams, BC '24, said. "It was more of an individual, free sandwich thing, rather than something to really connect with your peers." Students across the Barnard community optimistically anticipated the return of in-person Big Sub since it was entirely virtual the year prior. However, while a wide variety of sandwiches were available for students to enjoy, the community-building aspect of the event did not exist as it did in the past. Last year, in an effort to maintain a sense of community, Barnard's McIntosh Activities Council hosted a competition where students submitted their favorite sandwich recipes. Winners were highlighted on the McAC Instagram and awarded $50 Visa cards. This year, they added a zine component with recipe submissions, which was distributed at Big Sub. It will also be available in a digital format through the McAC newsletter. This year, students could choose from four options—turkey, chicken, Kosher, and vegan—on separate tables scattered throughout Barnard's campus. According to McAC president Chloe Siao, BC '23, this was due to social distancing protocols. "This year, we faced a lot of difficulties in terms of making sure that everything we did aligned with the protocols of Barnard," she said. "That meant making sure that everything was packaged. … We had registration periods to make sure that things are spaced out, and people were able to social distance. Another thing is that one of the regulations I think is that it has to be grab and go, so people can't eat together on campus." Shipping delays due to COVID-19 also meant certain decorations did not arrive on time. According to Siao, McAC faced uncertainty leading up to the event over whether an in-person Big Sub was possible—coupled with changes in Student Life, they were left with even less time to prepare. "This year, we didn't really have an advisor at the beginning of the semester, which is partially also why we didn't start planning until later," Siao said. While attempting to navigate the many obstacles that the safety protocols put into place, the leaders behind the event were still very adamant about upholding the main goal behind Big Sub. "One of the things that we had to talk about when we were planning this was still having this feeling of community without the physical aspect of all being together, which was really difficult," Siao said. However, many students in the classes of 2024 and 2025 who have never been to a traditional Big Sub left the grab-and-go stations feeling as if they still had not truly experienced this tradition. Williams agreed with this sentiment, for she entered the Barnard community with great expectations for the event that she felt were, unfortunately, not entirely met. "When you learn about Barnard, it's one of the big community events that separates itself from the rest of the schools, and having it shrunken to just tables scattered around campus was kind of disappointing," Williams said. Despite the different landscape, it was still a gift after over a year online. While the rush of running toward the larger-than-life sandwich among friends was unfortunately stripped from the event, the return of an in-person Big Sub in any capacity acted as a much-needed sign of hope for the future of the tradition. "I think that it still served its purpose," Noelle Nafus, BC '24, said. "I think that any community event right now is a positive thing since we got so little of that last year." Staff writer Ashley Pelham can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow Spectator on Twitter @ColumbiaSpec. Staff writer Francesca Fierro can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow Spectator on Twitter @ColumbiaSpec. Founded in 1877, the Columbia Daily Spectator is the independent undergraduate newspaper of Columbia University, serving thousands of readers in Morningside Heights, West Harlem, and beyond. Read more at columbiaspectator.com and donate here.