Recalling my first day of kindergarten comes easily to me. I wore a purple dress with flowers and a pair of pristine white sandals. My backpack, which was almost as big as me, was bright pink with tiny light pink and purple flowers decorating the straps. My lunchbox was decked out with everything Cinderella, from a picture of her in her huge blue ball gown to cut outs of her glass slipper and animal friends. Around my neck hung a piece of yarn with a laminated bus dangling from it, serving as a form of identification detailing my name, teacher’s name, grade, bus number, bus stop, and classroom number. As the bright yellow school bus approached the bus stop at the corner of my street, I hugged my mom and brother goodbye, climbed onto the bus, and sat in the first seat as any novice student would do. Continue reading

It’s no secret that we love our UDairy at the University of Delaware. Upon touring the campus as prospective students, we are spoon fed it (forgive the pun), oftentimes for free—perhaps anticipating that potential students will want to apply after having tasted UDairy. Even our beloved former Vice President Joe Biden has been known to enjoy a double scoop of UDairy’s chocolate and vanilla. Walking around campus, it’s likely that you are never too far from a UDairy-supporting site. At the Dining Hall, you can feast on ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—not the best idea if you are trying to prevent the “Freshman 15.” While studying in Barnes and Noble, you can purchase a pint for a quick pick-me-up, or perhaps you will be fortunate enough to spot the black and white Moo Mobile while walking to or from class. On a nice day, you may consider making the well-worth-it trek to the Creamery store. Here at UD, our ice cream is always in high demand; it’s hard to dislike a cup or cone of this cold creamy concoction, especially when it’s covered in blue and yellow sprinkles!

Over spring break, my friends and I realized that eating ice cream from our favorite ice cream shops or store bought brands was not the same. Take for instance, my all-time favorite flavor, Fudge Ripple. Due to my constant whining, my mom knows to keep at least a half-gallon of this vanilla ice cream laced with heaping amounts of chocolate fudge in our freezer at all times. When I got my wisdom teeth out over winter break, I decided that the “Freshman 15” did not apply, and I lived on this stuff for an entire week. One night over spring break, I had a craving for ice cream and decided to break out my beloved Fudge Ripple. Upon taking just one bite, it was apparent to me that the ice cream I used to enjoy thoroughly just wasn’t the same after having been spoiled with UDairy for so many months. I graciously offered it to my family members and threw away my “Do Not Eat!” note which I had strategically stuck to the lid.

I’m not exactly sure what makes UDairy so special—whether it is the zillions of unique flavors or the specialty of choosing something that I know is limited to UD’s campus. I do know, however, that it may be one thing that unites all University of Delaware students. Whether you are a chocoholic who craves Delaware River Mud Pie, a yuppie who prefers exotic flavors like Fig-Goat-a ‘Bout It!, or someone who is content with just a scoop of vanilla, you will always find something at UDairy. They even have different flavors of sorbet for my dairy-free friends. As an added bonus, UDairy comes out with limited-time seasonal flavors for holidays, which serve as justification for going over and trying them. From Millburn Orchards-inspired Apple Cider Donut in the fall and wintry Peppermint Bark to Chocolate Covered Strawberry for Valentine’s Day and the classic St. Patrick’s Day’s Irish Potato, it’s easy to tell which holidays and special occasions are coming up based just on UDairy’s flavor list.

As the weather gets warmer and the thought of sipping on a piping hot latte no longer seems appealing, UDairy ice cream should come to mind. As nice days become more plentiful in the Spring, consider a brisk walk to the Creamery as a nice distraction to the impending finals stress. Who knows, you may even catch a glimpse of one of the one hundred cows roaming around (unless you prefer to just buy yourself a cute stuffed one from inside instead)! Now, though, I do know that this summer my fellow Blue Hens and I may feel a sense of loss as we return home for our summer breaks. Luckily, the Creamery ships pints in coolers stuffed with dry ice—so that we never have to go a day without our beloved UDairy. I believe that it is definitely safe to say that UD screams for ice cream!