The Mecca in NCU? Do you visit it today? FINAL DRAFT

The Mecca in NCU? Do you visit it today?
The significance of The Food Street in NCU.



What is the most frequently-visited place for a college student in NCU? The library? The classroom? Certainly not. It’s a place where thousands of students make pilgrimages every day. When all of the students move toward one direction and swarm into a four-meter-wide street during lunch time, the answer simply shows up.


This 100-meter-long street in NCU is known as “The Snack Street” or “Xiao-Ye Street”, where student can resort to after a bombardment of several hours’ stifling classes. Since the food in student restaurants are usually considered choiceless, tasteless, and invariable, the snack street has become a central kitchen in NCU.


The Snack Street has existed for more than thirty years. It has been expanded from a few stores up to over 40 stores now. Along the snack street, there are various food stands, restaurants, copy stores, convenient stores, pool-rooms, and so on. According to Percy Kuo, a professor who graduated from NCU and returned for teaching now, “there were only a few stores and food stands when I was a college student thirty years ago, not like the prosperous sights of what it is now.”



Compared with other colleges where there are bustling night markets or prosperous shopping areas around, students in NCU sometimes complain about the relative deficiency of it. However, Tina, a junior who now live in mainland China as an exchange student, misses it very much, “I used to get bored with the food there, but I come to realize that the street represents the eating style of Taiwanese. You can have all kinds of local and exotic food there! I am missing the food and the people on the snack street.”


Students in NCU have long described themselves as “hermits on the hill’ because of the isolation of the school. However, the snack street is also an arena where student can propagandize their activities in addition to supplying students with daily needs. During lunch time, when stream of students invade in, the street heartily spread out its strength. “It’s like a lively and vigorous market. The snack street offers students a place to show their energy and creativity. I especially love the atmosphere when groups of students strive for promoting their activities.” said Michael, a graduate who recalled the scene of the vivacity with a smile.



The snack street becomes a flowing stream which is loaded with a great deal of memories. Thinking of the snack street, lots of emotions and images emerge from one’s mind. “My love for the snack street will never fade out!” said Professor Kuo. Without a doubt, the street will keep on creating and recording more and more stories for all of the students in NCU.