June 16, 2005

A Bold New Frontier for Rick's Cafeteria Critique

Food is one of the most important aspects of our lives as human beings. Eating is not just an activity that we are forced to undertake simply to nourish our bodies and provide ourselves with energy. Though there are some people that eat to live, many more live to eat. People spend long hours chatting in diners, preparing delicacies, or savoring over deli windows full of food. Many newspapers run weekly sections entitled "Food". There is a "Food Network". Indeed, obesity is an ever-growing problem in America. Though many of us take food and the pleasure we derive from food for granted, I believe that the topic can inspire some fascinating discussion.

A small portion of individuals may have heard of Rick's Cafeteria Critique, a monthly column that I wrote for my High School Newspaper, the Periscope. In the column, I would review delicacies offered by the Carlisle High School Cafeteria in a way that I hoped was both entertaining and enjoyable. This little column was featured in article in The Patriot News, and in an Associated Press Article. That article ran in many papers across the country, and was featured on many news websites including CNN.com and MSNBC.com. Type "Rick Seltzer Cafeteria" into Google or many News websites, and you can find the Associated Press article. I was even given the opportunity to do a short interview on the FOX news channel on a Saturday afternoon. I enjoyed the experience immensely, and am still in disbelief at the great media coverage that my column achieved. After all, I wrote it both for the entertainment of my fellow student and for my own enjoyment.

Unfortunately, my days as the Carlisle High School Cafeteria Critic have ended. It is said that "All good things must come to an end", and Graduation has ended my reign as the self-proclaimed cafeteria critic. After several weeks without reviewing a piece of food, I found myself a bitter, depressed young man. One does not know the feeling of worthlessness until he or she has lost their creative outlet of reviewing inexpensive cafeteria food of questionable quality for the pleasure of a student body. Therefore, I have decided to rededicate myself to the art of inexpensive food and bring my critiquing into this blog.

There will, of course, be several changes in format as I adapt my reviewing into an online format. For the time being, there will be no pictures to accompany my reviews. (As my one fan that read the column in Periscope knows, reviews were always accompanied by an amusing picture of me enjoying the delicacy I was reviewing) Also, I will not be simply reviewing cafeteria food, but I will be partaking in a wide variety of selections from fast food restaurants and other such culinary goldmines. My hope is that everyone can gain some insight into cheap food, and that Rick's Cafeteria Critique will not die, but will evolve into a new median and a higher form of writing.

I look forward to disseminating my unsolicited culinary opinions for the enjoyment of individuals around the world. I feel that the future for Rick's Cafeteria Critique is bright, and I eagerly anticipate a journey that is sure to be both successful and fulfilling.

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