Have you ever met your soul mate? That other half you didn’t
know was missing until it showed up and fit so perfectly into your unique mold,
making you feel an eerie comfort similar to getting lost in really loud,
amazing music or going home to visit your childhood dog? I was a freshman at
UCSD when I first encountered Chipotle, and in the past three years — as the
restaurant chain has greatly expanded, even taking up residence in my hometown
— our flirtatious courting has evolved into true, euphoric love.

And that is why, as workers touch up the last bits of neon
paint, new vendors move in and the Price
Center expansion rolls forward to
completion, I feel the need to rally for a Chipotle on campus. Now it’s true,
I’m probably biased since we do have so much in common. (We’re both Mexican by
name but, you know, not really. We’re both brutally efficient, yet sometimes at
the cost of aesthetic neatness. And we can both be a little overwhelming to the
faint of heart.) But I’m certainly not the only Chipotle enthusiast at UCSD —
morning, noon and night the La
Jolla Village Square location is full of
blue-and-gold sweatered, book-bag toting Tritons. And our darling Chipotle,
like a caring lover, even stays up late during those strenuous finals weeks to
make sure we’re well fed.

The expansion will boast eight new food vendors, and while
those look to include Burger King, Santorini Island Grill, the Living Room, a
pasta place and an Asian tea shop (read: boba joint), there is still time to
bring in our much-needed burrito favorite — because the turnaround at
Chipotle’s slower cousin Rubio’s is no longer worth its greasy selections.

Yes, even though Price
Center is in many ways just a
corporate hub of overpriced consumerism, I’m legitimately excited for the
expansion to be complete — and you should be too. Where else on campus are you
going to find three different coffee spots squeezed in one plaza? And pasta and
Asian teas have definitely gone unrepresented for far too long. Sure, Burger
King is no In-N-Out, the Sunshine Market is more like a glorified 7-Eleven than
the fresh-fruit stand we were promised and the Loft does threaten to be
obnoxiously pinky-out, but you just can’t deny the awesome light-saber-battle
potential of the new Star Wars light-speed looking pathway.

Good job, University Centers, it looks like you may have
done something right with this one. Now the only thing I’m left asking for is
to be united with my love. And it’s not just me asking.

Imagine, Tritons: It’s Tuesday and you get out of your class
in Center Hall a little early at 12:15 p.m., leaving you 15 minutes to grab
some lunch before your next lecture in Warren. You definitely don’t have time
to wait in Panda Express’ epic line only to rush out with a messy plate of rice
and noodles that you’ll hardly be able to enjoy as you dash to class. But what
if Chipotle was an option? The eatery’s entire concept is to get in and out quickly, and burritos
are fabulously portable so you can easily scarf one on your way to class or
snack on it discreetly — and without mess — as you take notes in the back.

The beauty of Chipotle is its glorious self-containment. What
if you’re doing dinner in a study lounge to catch up for an upcoming midterm?
You could go with a messy burger or sandwich that would get on your hands and
papers, or you could choose a delicious meal wrapped in itself — and foil, so
you don’t even have to get up from studying to throw out your trash, just roll
it up and lob it easily into a nearby bin.

And if nothing else convinces you, just think how well
Chipotle’s arty-industrial feel would mesh with the expansion’s
neon-green-and-rough-mental decor — a match made in heaven.

With the upcoming grand-opening celebration, University
Centers administrators are trying to send students the message that we are in
control of our facilities. To that I say: Give me ricey-cheesy-guacamole
goodness or give me death!