Just before fall break on Wednesday, Oct. 12, the Grotto had an Apple Festival theme, where almost every station had food that had some connection to apples.I admired their creativity in blending apples with other foods, which gives them a unique flavor. This is a really fun way to get into the fall spirit, especially before fall break. When the Grotto had a Carnival theme, there were games like darts and balloons, inflatable decorations, cotton candy, and other carnival-related food. However, it is not just the Grotto that does these fun themes. Ryan Hall also does themed days, like the Hawaiian lunch they had a few weeks ago. In both dining halls, I admire their creativity and cooking.What I like about the themes that the dining halls occasionally do is that the food is not only well-cooked, but also beautiful in art form. I remember last Halloween, when I had mushrooms (alien eyes), meatballs (asteroids), blue mac n cheese (maggots?), and chicken bites. For dessert, there were cupcakes that were zombie-themed, a cake shaped like an alien, chocolate brittles with candy brains and bones, and candies that kids usually get for Halloween.I also like the outfits that the staff wears for theme days.I still believe that dining halls should experiment with more themes, like international cuisine. With this they could include some non-culinary activities, like they did for Carnival Day.It would be interesting to dedicate one day to a particular cuisine from another country, which would help students become more aware of the culture and expand their tastebuds. In fact, Mercyhurst prides itself in its diversity and tolerance. By doing that, it would fulfill even more of Mercyhurst’s core values.The themes can even go beyond cuisine. There can be activities, like art activities that relates to the country and maybe even games.I would also like for either Ryan Hall or the Grotto to have a theme that is centered around space and aliens. I would love to see cakes that are shaped like planets with a touch of culinary art on them. There could also be meat crumbs that would look like a belt of asteroids going around the center of a spaghetti meatball.In general, I would like to say to the staff at the dining halls to keep up the good work and to try getting better every day. I hope that the dining halls of this university will expand to even more themes, so that we will grow and learn from their creativity. To stay up to date with the themes of the dining halls and the activities happening, follow the instagram: @mercyhurstdining or find them on Laker Launchpad.