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Tonight is cookie night

By Jessie Bazan, communication junior
Photo by Aaron Ledesma, communication junior

Between the Orientation square dance, Tuesday Night Mass and late night Real Chili runs, Marquette has plenty of student traditions.

However, none may be as popular (or yummy) as hot cookie nights or chicken nugget Saturdays.  

Every Saturday, the Cobeen Hall's kitchen staff prepares 200 pounds of chicken nuggets and 150 pounds of mac n’ cheese to feed the hungry hordes of students. With lines that regularly stretch out the door, this beloved weekend meal attracts diners from all over campus. “On the special nights, traffic is up about 40% compared to that same night with no special,” Sodexo general manager Kevin Gilligan says.

As a resident assistant in Mashuda Hall, junior journalism major Olivia Morrissey plans to make the hike to Cobeen with her residents in the near future. “They are Marquette traditions that every student must experience at least once. And I am certain it will be much more than once for most students.”

The best part about chicken nugget night, Morrissey says, is it takes diners back to their childhoods. “It doesn’t get more kid-friendly than mac n’ cheese and chicken nuggets, and college kids appreciate the comfort food, too.”    

Students with a sweet tooth also appreciate hot cookie night, another popular dining hall tradition.

Beginning in 2009, bowls of piping hot and gooey cookies are served every Monday and Thursday night at Cobeen and Monday nights at McCormick Hall. The tradition certainly gives dining hall ovens a workout — 900 cookies are baked each night.

Senior corporate communications major Jim Love (pictured) has been a hot cookie night goer for the last three years. “Most of my friends during freshmen and sophomore year shared the same love for hot cookie night, so I ended up going with a group of people most time,” Love says. “It was a great way to meet up with people and enjoy some delicious cookies.”

If you’re looking to get fancy, Love says ice cream is the “clear-cut best” cookie topping. “It’s a perfect mixture with the hot cookie and brings out the great taste.”

So first year students especially, take note: hot cookie night is the real deal. “I didn’t find out about hot cookie night until December of freshmen year,” Love explains. “I asked the worker if it was a new thing. When she told me it was every week, I gave her a high five. And the rest is history.”