Boston University’s highly anticipated event, Lobster Night, returned Thursday night in on-campus dining halls.
According to BU Dining Services Director of Marketing Lynn Cody, the event is BU Dining’s largest locally sourced meal of the year.
“BU Dining Services is committed to supporting local [businesses], diverting food waste to composting and anaerobic digestion and reducing pre-consumer and post-consumer waste year-round,” Cody wrote.
Cody wrote that all lobster shells, compostable dishes and paper napkins are collected to be kept out of the trash stream.
BU partners with Cape Ann Lobstermen, a lobster supplier in Gloucester, Massachusetts, to supply the University with over 9,600 lobsters. The company adheres to guidelines that encourage sustainability and support local fishermen, according to their website.
These guidelines include checking each lobster for eggs and “V-notches,” which indicate that the lobsters can reproduce, said Alex Militello, marketing director for Cape Ann Lobstermen.
“We make sure those stay in the water,” Militello said. “We’re not allowed to keep those lobsters and that ensures that the population stays abundant.”
Militello said that “you can’t get any more sustainable” than sourcing seafood locally.
“It keeps this industry alive, not only lobsters, but fish[ing] in general,” Militello said. “It’s very important to our industry that people choose locally and not go with the alternative.”
According to Cody, the University receives high anticipation and positive reviews from students enjoying their meals and showing appreciation to dining hall staff. However, BU students’ opinions on the event reveal a mix of anticipation and frustration.
Freshman Taylor Williams said she “didn’t even know [Lobster Night] existed,” but when she found out about it, she was looking forward to it.
“I love lobster,” Williams said. “So [Lobster Night] could be a good thing to have here.”
Senior Emma Murphy said Lobster Night is fun during freshman year but not worth participating in anymore.
“It just gets a little chaotic, and honestly I would rather just go out to the market and get a lobster than fight someone for a lobster here,” Murphy said.
However, she said that going to Lobster Night is a good experience for students to have at least.
“It was fun when I went with my friends freshman year,” Murphy said. “Some people didn’t know how to crack one open, so we passed it around the table and everyone got taught.”
Sophomore Megan Kwan attended Lobster Night last year, and found it fun as a freshman but now a “major inconvenience” due to the long lines and wait. However, she still thinks it’s a good way to build community.
“It’s really sweet to have something you guys will go back to do every single year,” Kwan said. “[With] BU being as big as it is, it’s hard to get a lot of those traditions in.”
