Members of Burritos Club at Ohio State enjoy their Chipotle on South Oval during a meeting. Credit: Courtesy of Nishika Raheja

Members of Burritos Club at Ohio State enjoy their Chipotle on South Oval during a meeting. Credit: Courtesy of Nishika Raheja

“We hold these chips to be self-salsa-dipped, that all burritos are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable deliciousness, that among these are Guac, Rice, and the pursuit of burritos,” so reads the creed of Burritos Club at Ohio State.

Burritos Club, a new organization on campus, aims to provide an outlet for students to express their love for burritos.

Currently boasting a membership of nearly 600, the organization has grown considerably from its humble roots. Nishika Raheja, third-year in neuroscience and president of Burritos Club, described the early stages of the club — during her first year at OSU — as a purely social, informal gathering of friends.

“There used to be a dining hall called Burritos (in the basement of North Commons) and two to three times a week (Raheja and I) would make the trip to Burritos,” said Alexis Lilly, third-year in international studies and vice president of Burritos Club. “We started bringing all our friends so it would be this big floor trip and we’d sit there for like an hour and a half to two hours each time.”

Lilly said eventually these trips accumulated so many people that coordinating became difficult.

“We created a Facebook page and just started adding people we knew,” Raheja said. “We would post burritos news and joking about doing different things as a club. Then sophomore year rolled around and we actually looked into making it real.”

After finding a faculty adviser and completing training through the Office of Student Life, the pair’s efforts to legitimize the club came to fruition during the spring 2016 semester.

The group recently brokered a partnership with the Chipotle on High Street. Club members can purchase a Burritos Club sticker from the student organization for $2, and on promotional days they can bring the sticker into Chipotle for a buy-one-get-one deal.

“I befriended all of the (Chipotle) workers this summer,” Raheja said. “I told them about the club and they offered to coordinate some stuff with us.”

Despite their partnership with Chipotle, Burritos Club is not exclusive to the chain. They also are frequent patrons of Mad Mex and Qdoba, saying that “talks are in the works” to partner with these restaurants.

“Chipotle does not offer queso so we don’t want to close ourselves off to only them,” Raheja said. “We stand by Qdoba and Plaza burritos. Plaza burritos are actually some of the most underrated burritos out there. They’re very flavorful.”

Raheja and Lilly have both expressed plans for expansion in future years. In addition to bringing in more restaurants, the pair has discussed partnering with a food bank.

“We’re really looking to legitimize this organization,” Lilly said.

In the meantime, the organization is not straying away from commenting on major burrito-related issues. Raheja and Lilly expressed strong views on matters such as guacamole.

“It’s extra for a reason, it’s important. You have to pay a bit more for the good things in life,” Raheja said. “I know $2 is a hefty price, but it’s fresh avocado, they make it fresh every day, it’s not like they’re giving you old avocado.”

The club also does accept burrito bowls as a form of burrito. The concept is the same, and some individuals might be unable to eat tortillas because of gluten allergies, Rajeha said. However, in a club where burritos reign supreme, tacos are strictly prohibited.

“Tacos aren’t necessarily bad; I’m not saying that they’re bad. We just can’t endorse them,” Raheja said. “If you like tacos, I’m sure there’s a club for you, but this is not it.”

Burritos Club will be hosting their first event on Sept. 18 from 2 to 5 p.m. to distribute its burrito stickers as well as advertise their first promotional day, which is set for Sept. 23.

“If someone wants to eat a burrito, but doesn’t have anybody to eat a burrito with, that’s what we’re here for,” Lilly said. “You should never eat a burrito alone.”