// get the index number of a food pile that the given ant is on.
  public int getFoodPileIndex(Ant currentAnt) {
    for (int i = 0; i < Parameters.NUM_OF_FOOD_PILES; i++) {
      if (theFood[i].getX() == currentAnt.getX() && theFood[i].getY() == currentAnt.getY())
        return i;
    }

    System.out.println("Reached the unreachable");
    return -1; // this line will never happen but eclipse made me add another return state
  }