Imagine walking to class and smelling the sweet and umami smell of monosodium glutamate. 

You look up only to bump into a line occupying the very hallway you must pass to get to class. 

You check your phone and see that class is cancelled. 

You feel a rumble in your stomach. 

You check your bank account only to see that you have -$5. 

You hear the line is for free ramen.  

Today is going to be a good day. 

The Student Dietetic Association ran a ramen buffet in Bloch Hall, where they served free ramen under the advisory of University of Montevallo professor Kelley DeVane-Hart. 

Devane-Hart said, “While I serve as one of the advisors for the Student Dietetic Association, the ramen event was entirely student-led. The idea was the brainchild of SDA President, Sasha Vasenkova.” 

Despite not directly planning the event, Devane-Hart’s advising is still essential to the SDA functions with her doctorate in health education. 

The works of Vasenkova and Devane-Hart led to the ramen buffet being “the largest and most successful event in the organization’s history.”  

With 92 people coming together to eat ramen together, the ramen event encapsulated everything Devane-Hart sought in dietetics. “I love the fact that food is a universal language of care and connection – it’s something that connects us to others, places, and memories,” said Devane-Hart. 

The ramen buffet helped far beyond connection. Since the loss of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits from the government shutdown on Oct. 1, food drives have been appearing across the country to help those without food. The ramen buffet helped people get through the loss of SNAP benefits by offering free meals to those in need across campus.  

Arianna Lignos, a student attending the event, said the event helped her through her financial struggles, “I don’t go out and buy groceries a lot because I don’t have a lot of money, and there was even a time where I had -$5 in my bank account so I couldn’t buy any food,” she said. “It was really cool going to the ramen event because it wasn’t the same old food from the cafeteria and Einstein’s.” 

While the event was reportedly a success, it didn’t go without its issues. “Ninety-two participants signed in, and we estimate that an additional 25–50 individuals may have been turned away due to limited food. We are currently considering strategies to better manage attendance and ensure everyone can be served at future events,” Devane-Hart said. 

The crowd at the ramen buffet both teaches the Montevallo student body about the SDA and prepares the SDA on how to handle the annual SDA Friendsgiving Nov. 13.