Olivia Zimmerman ‘29
Guest Writer
Music taste is subjective, but there are times when that subjectivity tends to blur into the line of objectivity. There are times when we can all admit that perhaps a change should be instated, for better or for worse.
Holy Cross’ Kimball Dining Hall is perhaps the only building that almost every student visits on the daily. Whether it be for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, groups of students adorn the dark wood tables and cushioned booths. To accompany the clanking of dishes and scraping of forks, the dining hall offers a playlist over its speakers for students to listen to. Given the importance of Kimball in Holy Cross students’ day-to-day experiences, it seems necessary to provide good music, yet many individuals, myself included, find it to be lacking.
The problem with Kimball Hall’s music isn’t the fact that there is music, but rather it is the songs they play and the constant repetition of them. I think the playlist desperately needs a revamp—but this begs the question: how?
Curating the perfect playlist would be impossible since, as noted earlier, music taste is subjective. However, we can start by doing a dive into what music is currently being played. After about an hour in Kimball, I recorded the majority of the songs played:
“Love Me Not” by Ravyn Lenae
“Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else” by Benson Boone
“Gabriela” by KATSEYE
“Paint The Town Red” By Doja Cat
“Golden” by HUNTR/X
“2Step” by Ed Sheeran (feat. Leto)
“Nice To Meet You” by Myles Smith
“JUMP” by BLACKPINK
“I Love You, I’m Sorry” by Gracie Abrams
“Undressed” by sombr
“Nonsense” by Sabrina Carpenter
“Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan
What is it about these songs that make them unappealing for a dining hall? To be clear, I don’t think all of the songs on the list above are necessarily bad. In fact, I’m sure many people have at least one of them on a playlist of theirs. However, I would argue that the dining hall could do better.
I see the music played at Kimball Hall as a type of music that falls into the “contemporary phenomena” category. These songs feature new, prevalent artists that are oftentimes trending on social media. They remind me of “mall music:” songs that rotate on a monthly basis to appeal to the public’s temporary preferences. However, it is impossible to truly grasp the music taste of thousands of people, so instead they incorporate what they think is an accurate reflection of the current musical climate, and often miss the mark. That is why I would advocate for the incorporation of “timeless” music into our dining hall experience: songs that stand the test of time and are widely received as classics.
For example, ABBA is a band that people generally enjoy listening to. While not everyone is necessarily an ABBA fan, most people would not complain if they heard “The Winner Takes It All” or “Dancing Queen.” I would also place Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” and David Bowie’s “Starman” under a similar category—songs that have stood the test of time and will continue to be played in the years to come. There are plenty of bands and musicians whom I believe would be a wonderful addition to a new and improved dining playlist, such as The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Queen, and The Smiths. They represent a timeless faction of music, which is a safer alternative to trying to grasp the rapidly changing and ambivalent musical enthusiasm of the public.
Another fix to the music problem at Kimball would be to initiate themes for different days of the week. For example, Kimball could switch between various radio/music stations each day of the week, allowing for variety as well as music that would likely cater to everyone’s tastes. They could play current hits, classic rock, an 80s channel (or any other decade), jazz, country, etc. It would be a welcomed change of musical pace for the students of Holy Cross.
Music is truly a universal language; it serves as a conduit for connection beyond face to face encounters. While music taste is subjective, its impact is undeniable. I believe it is something worth talking about, even if just in the context of our dining hall. It will be interesting to watch Kimball’s music evolve as the months go by; will it try to curate to the public’s preferences, will the same playlist continue to play on repeat, or will it take an entirely new route?
Copy Edited by Lily Wasmund ’28
Featured image courtesy of College of the Holy Cross Dining
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