November 2025 "Delectable Discourse 3: What Would You Eat for Your Last Meal?" by Emily Rawlings

Although the purpose of Thanksgiving is to reflect on and be thankful for the positives and the privileges one experiences in life, many people associate Thanksgiving with a time where one’s gluttony can overtake oneself in a socially-acceptable manner, stuffing one’s face with as much food as possible, having to unbutton one’s jeans to accommodate the new circumference, and then passing out in a food coma. Consequently, in this third issue of Delectable Discourse, where I ask college students a scrumptious new question each month, I asked the following: “What would you eat for your last meal?”

• “In-N-Out Burger because it makes me want to live. I want pozole too for the same reason—it makes me want to live.” -Julie

• “A big juicy pear and then add the biggest steak with two porkchops and a mozzarella salad—think of every herb you ever seen with mozzarella, spices, and tomatoes with olive oil on top—with a big glass of apple juice. Maybe add a dessert… A big slice of red velvet cake with vanilla ice cream on top.” -Alonzo

• “My last meal, I feel like In-N-Out Burger. Wait, did Julie already do that one? Lasagna. I like lasagna a lot. Actually, I change it back to In-N-Out Burger. It is my comfort food because it was the only fast food I was allowed to eat as a kid. A big f&*$#!g greasy hamburger and a Diet Coke. At one time, I would have said, ‘Oh, my mommy’s whatever,’ but now it’s definitely In-N-Out.” - Hannah

• “A bunch of Mexican food, I guess. It would be made by my family.” -Maritza

• “Um, I’ll just put umm, what is a food I really like? I guess just mango. omnomnom. I would suck on the seed to extend my time. What happens after the meal? Am I executed or something? I would try to, like, stretch it out. Wait a minute, guard! There is still some juice on this thing. I am not ready!” -Anapaula

• “Enchiladas. Dude, enchiladas, dude, with some rice on the side. A saucy enchilada with a side of like Fanta. Chicken enchilada with the green sauce.” -Sebastian

• “The last thing I would eat… That is hard. Spaghetti. Dr. Pepper on the side. Parmesan in the spaghetti with garlic bread on the side.” –Jacob

• “I wouldn’t even want to know if it is my last meal. Thinking about it just makes me sad. I guess I would want some sort of comfort food. I guess if I knew, I would have salmon and a croissant and spinach and arugula salad. For dessert, I would want apple crumble with vanilla ice cream. Oh, and coffee, and a glass of crisp white wine. I don’t want to think about it. I would rather just be gone and not know ahead of time!” -Dr. B

• “Oh! Ha-ha. If my sin of gluttony could be forgiven before my transition to heaven in the courts above, I would…AND if I have a bottomless stomach… I would have 5-star mint-chocolate chip ice cream. Uh, I am thinking of all the things I would like. Round Table Pizza’s garlic parmesan twists, Barq’s root beer. Oh! And those Keebler mint-chocolate cookies to scoop up the ice cream. Oh, I miss that. I think that’s it.” –Paula