If you’ve been on TikTok recently, chances are you’ve already come across Zac Calamita sharing his takes on dining hall meals and food places around town. With over 7,000 followers, and growing, Calamita has quickly become a microcelebrity here on campus.
Meet Zac Calamita!
Before he became one of Penn State’s favorite food reviewers, Calamita was just another student looking for something to do during summer session. “I was so bored in summer session and didn’t want to eat alone in my dorm so I ate with my phone LOL,” Calamita shared. What started as a lighthearted way to keep himself company has now turned into a fun and unexpected creative outlet.
Even with experiencing such success from his content, Calamita remains extremely grateful and humble. When asked if he ever expected his videos to take off as much as they did, Calamita admitted, “Not at ALL, I am so so so grateful though, this whole experience has been incredible and I can’t wait to see where it goes.”
When asked about his favorite dining spot, Calamita didn’t hesitate to say, “I love Pollock, there’s so many options and I LOVE their pizza.” He also shared his hidden gem on campus: “Saxbys in the business building, it is SO GOOD.”
When it comes to a dream collaboration, Calamita expressed, “I would die if I could collaborate with Katie Feeney in some type of way, she is seriously such an inspiration and I’m obsessed with her.”
As for the future of his TikTok journey, Calamita is taking things one day, or meal, at a time. “I’m not sure what I’ll be doing next week, but I would be down to do anything,” Calamita said when asked if he sees himself continuing his food reviews post-grad.
Calamita believes that student creators like himself can have a real influence on universities and their dining experiences. “The universities want people to buy their meal plans and enjoy it. So if they see a ton of people loving or hating a certain thing I think they would edit and change the menu,” Calamita explains.
For Calamita, the support from his growing community is what keeps it all worthwhile. “I am having so much fun doing this all and am so grateful,” he expressed. “And everyone who comments, likes, says hi in public or DM’s me something positive means the world to me.”
It’s clear that what started as a simple way to pass time between classes has evolved into something much more meaningful. Calamita is creating a shared experience that connects students one video, and bite, at a time!
Tag us on Instagram, @VALLEYmag, to share what your favorite meal here at Penn State is!
