“Wolves on the prowl” has a new meaning on campus these days, as hungry students are roaming the school in search of free food. A meeting advertising pizza is not safe.

These students can be seen loitering around the Orleans Room trying to sneak in, asking for spare Wolfbucks with no intention of repaying the favor, or even looking through other people’s trash.

Campus clubs will often have free food at their meetings throughout the school year. Some students have taken the approach of joining clubs they’re not interested in solely for the free food.

Margaret Sands, environmental studies senior, is leader of the Loyola Association of Students for Sustainability. She said that LASS has experienced the mooching trend this semester.

“For a few of our meetings we offered food, and at that time our membership nearly doubled,” Sands said. “Now the problem is people expect food at each of our meetings, and if there’s no food, they don’t show up.”

In some cases, students have to be a member of the club providing the food, but other clubs sometimes throw events that are open to all students.

“When you hear about a meeting you just show up and get the food,” said Rudolph Rihner, English literature junior.

Rihner has been attending various club meetings for all four years of college.

“I’ve been asked before, ‘What are you doing here?’ and my response is always, ‘I’m just interested in learning more about the subject,'” Rihner said.

Not all students find this practice acceptable.

Psychology and English junior Lexi Wangler said she would never do such a thing.

“If you go to a meeting you honestly have no interest in, you must really be starving,” Wangler said.” I get bored really easily and wouldn’t be able to sit through a meeting just for the food.”

Some students are using their knowledge of their peers’ weakness for free food to benefit their organizations.

Richard Tucker, political science junior and president of the Loyola Society for Civic Engagement, said he uses free pizza at meetings to his club’s advantage.

“People have been gathering around tables for ages to discuss politics over food. Why should we stop now?” Tucker said.

History senior Jack Donovan says he’s well versed on the topic of food mooching.

“Last semester I didn’t have a job, so I had to get resourceful,” Donovan said. “I would usually hear about meetings by word of mouth, and I always made sure to go to the art shows for wine.”

Donovan has been to a wide variety of meetings, ranging from civic engagement to religious studies meetings.

“Whatever meeting I go to, I make sure to listen to whoever’s talking because it would be rude not to,” Donovan said. “It’s one thing to come for the food and leave, but I don’t do that.”

Donovan said that he thinks it is a good thing that organizations have free food because it allows many students to superficially attend functions where they wouldn’t normally go.

Donovan said he plans to continue his food mooching habits as long as he is a student here.

“Food mooching really is a good way to get the most out of Loyola,” he said.

Carl Harrison can be reached at [email protected]