I know I’m a little late to the trend, but for the past few months, I have really gotten into the show New Girl. I’m sure you have probably heard of it, but if you haven’t, I would recommend sitting down with all your besties, popping some popcorn, and by the end of the first episode you’ll be hooked. The show follows the lives of four roommates who live in a small apartment they call the “loft.” It’s the ultimate feel-good comedy combo that will relax you after a long day of classes. Sadly, this month New Girl will be taken off Netflix. Though the show is still available on Hulu and Showtime, I’ll definitely be sad to see it go. Just like all the characters in New Girl have their own personalities and quirks, so do the dining halls at the University of Connecticut. In honor of my favorite show, I’m going to describe the UConn dining halls as New Girl characters.
- Schmidt
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I’m going to start the list strong with arguably the most lovable and hateable character on the show: Schmidt. If you’ve ever seen New Girl, you know Schmidt is cocky, obsessed with his appearance, and absolutely in love with the main character’s best friend, Cece. Schmidt is the epitome of a womanizer and contributes to the show’s humor. Schmidt is the kind of character you love to hate. I would have to compare Schmidt to Putnam dining hall. Just like Schmidt, Putnam is polished, healthier than most of the dining halls, and where most of the (some could say) womanizer athletes eat.
- Cece
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Of course, following Schmidt, I have to introduce Cece — or as Schmidt calls her, Cecelia. Cece is the main character Jess’ best friend for life. Though they seem like an unlikely duo, with Cece being a professional model and Jess being a teacher, the two of them are attached at the hip. Cece is fun, gorgeous, and as much as she doesn’t want to admit it in the earlier seasons, she’s in love with Schmidt. Cece is so reliable to Jess that I have to compare her to Northwest dining hall. Northwest always has at least one edible option, it’s usually pretty clean, and it’s one of the few dining halls open later than seven. Even better, Putnam and Northwest are only a few minutes walk from each other, just like how Cece and Schmidt always seem to end up back with each other in the show.
- Nick
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Nick Miller is arguably one of the funniest characters on the show. He is sarcastic, clinically broke, and loves his job bartending even though he passed the bar exam to become a lawyer. He can seem a little messy but Nick would truly do anything for his best friends. Nick was definitely a hard one because he’s such a unique and complex character. After a long debate, I would have to say Nick is most similar to McMahon dining hall. Just like Nick is arguably the glue that holds all the roommates together, McMahon is right in the middle of campus. McMahon can have some questionable meals but they also have the best pizza on campus and are open into the later hours of the night.
- Winston
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Winston Bishop is a complex character on the show. He loves cats, pranking people, and he comes into the loft a little later after he gets back from playing professional basketball in Latvia. Winston could be described as airy and is definitely not a ladies’ man. Though he seems like a sort of randomly configured character, he’s extremely sweet and often the punchline of many jokes in the loft. Because of his innocence, I would have to compare Winston to Towers dining hall. Towers is home to many of the freshmen acclimating to UConn and just like they’re figuring out their college careers, I feel like Winston is also figuring out what he wants to do in life.
- COach
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Coach is a character who seems to come in and out of the picture in New Girl. Just like his name suggests, he’s a personal trainer. He’s a very strong personality and always seems to be joking around. He’s a womanizer just like Schmidt and is also deathly afraid of boats. Coach is definitely similar to the North dining hall. Just like Coach comes in and out of the show, many people don’t visit North because they prefer Northwest, which is right next door. North is a decent dining hall just like Coach is decent, but I wouldn’t say he’s an instrumental character in the show.
- Jess
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Last but certainly not least this was the character that sparked my idea for this whole article. Jessica Day is the main character and usually the character that makes everyone fall in love with the show. She’s bubbly, loves to knit, is a teacher, and is a bit of an oddball. Jessica is the perfect resemblance of Whitney dining hall on campus. Both are clean, quaint, and scream academia. Every time I visit Whitney, I think to myself, “This would be such a cute place to just curl up and read a book.” Whitney even has a little cafe area that I’m sure Jess would love.
If these crazy characters haven’t convinced you to give New Girl a try, I highly recommend it! The show is hilarious and the perfect show to put on in the background when you’re doing homework or another activity. I hope you give it a try. Next time you visit a UConn dining hall, think of which New Girl character you think it would be!