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It’s a tale as old as time: A student staring at their phone, starving, waiting for someone – anyone – to reply to their plea to get dinner with them. The student, who’s out of dining dollars and has a club meeting in 30 minutes, would rather go hungry than sit alone in a packed dining hall.

This story, as tragic as it may seem, is a common experience among students at Syracuse University. At the beginning of the school year, I absolutely refused to dine alone. The closest dining hall to me is Ernie Davis Dining Center, which is almost always packed with groups of friends laughing and chatting while they eat. I wasn’t embarrassed or worried about running into someone I disliked. It just felt wrong.

After the first few weeks of the school year, I finally got over this anxiety, but I wasn’t the only one who has dealt with this irrational fear of eating alone. I’ve heard from friends, classmates and strangers around campus that........

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