Take to the streets! Shout from the tops of trees and buildings! The soup at West 82 is now $2.75! Well maybe it's not that serious, but as a regular at West 82 (and probably the world's biggest soup fan), this is a complete outrage.
As a freshman vegetarian with a meal plan of 20 per week, I found the vegetarian and vegan options for lunch last year a bit unappealing. But one free afternoon, I stumbled upon a wonderful place known as West 82.
Here there was a plethora of vegetarian- and vegan-friendly options, from soups to sandwiches and beyond. As a very picky eater, evidenced by my vegetarianism, I test out unfamiliar eateries in a very simple way. I use the soup test.
Soup, to me, is the best identifier of good cooking. In my opinion, if one cannot make a good soup, then there is no hope as a food stylist. It is the most basic of form of cooking - you just add heat.
My soup test of West 82 ended on a wonderful note. I bought the creamy tomato tortellini for a mere $2.50 and it instantly became one of my favorite soups. As a person who prefers to pay in cash, this was a wonderful discovery. I now had a way to get quarters easily each day for laundry.
That discovery is slowly losing its magic wonderfulness! Last spring, a new policy was put in place at West 82; a cup of water would now cost a quarter. Like the situation now, I was immediately outraged, blabbing this horrific news to every person I knew.
Eventually, I calmed down and accepted this loss of a constant quarter for my laundry. Though I could opt out of the 20-ounce cup of water everyday at lunch, I would most likely die of dehydration just going up the escalator.
Maybe I'm acting a bit melodramatic, but I feel I should inform the masses on this serious issue. Not only is West 82's soup delicious, but it's also inexpensive (or, more accurately, was inexpensive), and a staple in this college student's diet.
If the price continues to rise, I may have to resort to a single inexpensive piece of cheese pizza for lunch (only $2.25 last time I checked). I just never thought I would see the day where soup was more expensive then a single slice of greasy, saturated-fat-filled, cheese pizza.
I could move up to some slightly more expensive options that are whole dollar amounts to get a few quarters with my cup of water, but it's the principle of the thing. I expect consistency from my chosen place of eating.
I'm sure if Patrick Henry were alive now, attending Ohio University and an avid soup fan, he would have said, Give me inexpensive soup
or give me death!
John Nero is a sophomore studying journalism and photojournalism and a photo editor for The Post . Send him your quarters and comments at jn265708@ohiou.edu.
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Opinion
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