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Freshman Tim Natividad thought he was in for a perfectly normal meal when he arrived at the Sharpe Refectory on Sunday. Unfortunately for him, it was anything but.
At approximately 12:20 PM, Natividad walked out of the Bistro line towing along a heaping brunch of pancakes, waffles, and hard boiled eggs. As he quickly circled the building and discovered he was unable to locate his alleged friends, his mood rapidly shifted from serenity to panic.
According to eyewitness accounts, after frantically searching for eight minutes, Natividad took a seat at a table in the corner of the Refectory, cheeks flush with embarrassment, and nibbled at his lunch in solitude.
At 12:44 PM, he made a shameful and lonely exit with his shoulders slumped in utter defeat.
Said junior John Lung, who witnessed the tragedy firsthand, "He just sat all alone at, like, noon. Peak hours, and he couldn't find anyone he recognized. I know he's only been here for a month, but come on, that's just sad." Sophomore Dan Greenberg, who was sitting next to Lung at the time of the disaster, placed the blame entirely on the other freshmen. "They saw what was going on. They knew what that kid was going through. They said nothing. They did nothing. They just fucking stood by and let it happen."
Anthony Ferraro '12, one of the freshmen that Natividad entered with, later explained, "Look, we were sitting in plain sight the whole time. He actually sat just three tables over from us. We saw him, but we figured it would be less embarrassing if we just didn't say anything, especially since we couldn't quite remember his name."
Natividad continually restated that it was "no big deal at all, seriously," maintaining that "everyone has to eat lunch alone sometimes, just like in high school." He quickly added that he "has so many friends," though this claim could not be verified since he repeatedly refused to name names.
On Monday, President Ruth Simmons released a written statement offering her condolences to Natividad and his family characterizing the catastrophe as a mere misunderstanding.
Said Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron, "Honestly, I don't see what the big deal is. I always eat lunch alone."
