Anna Rinaggio, Campus Carrier opinions editor

Whoever invented sandwiches deserves a fat kiss on the lips. Slapping two pieces of bread together with a little extra something in between seems so simple, but that simplicity is what makes it so great. Anyone can make a sandwich out of just about anything, and I think that is a beautiful thing. 

My favorite thing about the sandwich is its versatility. You can make it as simple or complicated as you want, and there is an endless possibility of combinations at your disposal when creating one. You can make one at home with the leftovers in the back of your fridge or get a fancy one at a restaurant. You can skip the meat and just use cheese or peanut butter and jelly. You could use a tortilla or sub roll or one of the hundreds of kinds of sliced bread. Whatever mood you’re in, I can almost guarantee that there’s a sandwich out there to satisfy your craving. 

Sandwiches are also great because anyone can make one. It doesn’t matter if you’re five years old or 95 — all you need is a plate, a reusable plastic knife, and a hunger for deliciousness. Granted, it’ll probably be a bit messier if you let a child go crazy with the jelly, but at least they’re getting a sense of independence. 

Sandwiches are also the perfect travel food. Whether you’re traveling 12 hours in the car or sitting on the beach all day, sandwiches make everyone happy and are easy to take with you. A small cooler, ice pack and piece of tupperware or saran wrap is all you need to keep those bad boys fresh all day long. Feeling hungry but not for the whole sandwich? Eat half of it and save the rest for later — it is as easy as that. 

I also love sandwiches because they are an easy way to say “I love you.” Man, nothing tastes better than the sandwich someone else made for you. Every time my mom makes sandwiches for our family when we go to the beach or spend a long day outside at my brother’s marksmanship competition, I swear it is actually the best food I’ve ever eaten. Part of that is the fact that my mom can make a fantastic sandwich, but the more important part is all the love she puts in it. Call me a simple man, but it’s all I need to be happy in life.

Now, I can’t talk about how great sandwiches are without plugging my personal favorite. Since I was probably about four years old or so, I have never gone wrong with ham and mayo on wheat bread. My tastes have admittedly evolved a bit since then, but if all else fails, I know that those three ingredients will have my back. 

Nowadays, I usually go for ham, mayo and provolone cheese on toasted wheat bread. The crunch of toasted bread, in my opinion, is the real key to a perfect sandwich. The mayo and cheese will melt a little into the bread, too, which is just heavenly. Yeah it’s simple, but that’s what makes it so amazing. 

To any sandwich haters out there — if you even exist, and I doubt that is possible with how awesome they are — I hope you come to your senses soon and realize the genius that is the sandwich. To my fellow sandwich lovers, I see you, and I hope to find you enjoying your sandwiches around campus as we finish up the semester. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to resume that quest to find the sandwich inventor and give them that kiss I promised.