From comment cards to grumbling around the Campus Center, Otterbein students have had mixed feelings about the food system.
Bon Appetit general manager Terry McGhee said his goal
was to bring“local products” and to present “fresh, new ideas” to the students.
In theory, these goals seem like a great idea and are reflective of the focus initiated by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention which, based on research, provides schools in the U.S. with guidance on providing students with a diet that meets recommendations for fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nonfat or low-fat dairy products.
So why, from a student perspective, does it seem that the campus is gradually losing many of the edible options it once had?
This semester, the Better for You station in the Cardinal’s Nest has been vacant because Bon Appetit has been “understaffed,” removing the option for a lower-calorie, lower-sodium, more nutritional meal.
And although we enjoyed and even celebrated breakfast for dinner at first, after two weeks, the comment cards indicated that we wanted a change of pace from the sausage patties.
“It’s lacking the quality that most would expect from a $40,000-a-year school,” junior psychology major Evan Keir said. “Granted, it’s all locally grown. But I want flavor and quality rather than a locally stimulated economy.”
As a full-time student with two internships and a busy schedule, I am unable to take full advantage of the Cardinal’s Nest with its limited hours. I know I am not alone in this. It’s no secret that nutritional food provides energy and that the food we consume affects our mental health, sleep pattern, brain function and ability to retain information.
Most students living on campus rely on the food provided to them to ensure that basic nutrient, vitamin and mineral requirements for a healthy body and brain are met. But when I trudge into the OtterDen and am met by the now-familiar, limited menu, I can’t help but think about how my body is not getting the nutrition it needs to maintain the active life I lead.
A burger, a quesadilla and a basic salad? Those are my
options?
For the freshmen or transfer students who never experienced the “old” OtterDen, let me enlighten you: Turkey croissants, egg sandwiches, Ruebens, hearty soup variations and an abundance of tasty fruits and salads were just a few of the options. Most of the students I talked to this week felt that standards and nutritional options have deteriorated drastically, making the old OtterDen menu seem like a faraway dream.
“One of the reasons that the menu can’t be as big as we would like it is because of the space,” McGhee said.
It appeared to run smoothly with the previous menu, so why did they change it?
There was always a range of healthy choices, and I don’t remember ever waiting a particularly long time for my meal. Even so, I’m sure students wouldn’t mind waiting an extra five minutes for something they would actually enjoy eating.
“The OtterDen’s menu is very limited, and quite frankly, many students around campus are tired of ordering the same basic meals,” freshman studio art major Landon Lewis said. “In addition, the food from the OtterDen gave me no other choice but to be addicted to my bottle of Tums.”
McGhee said that the Bon Appetit staff is “really busy down there with (the OtterDen) menu.” Don’t the staff members realize that they are busy because this is a college campus and that is one of the few places students can eat? I’ve never heard anyone recently exclaim how excited he or she is to eat at the OtterDen.
Students come back for convenience, not for quality. McGhee also explained that Bon Appetit would be adding more changes in the spring semester that include a deep fryer, ice cream and cupcakes. Do students really want to spend their food money on fattening, greasy food? Isn’t that what Old Bag is for?
WebMD tells us, “Eat smart for a healthy brain.” We are college students. We need to follow this advice now more than any other time in our lives. In order to do this, we need a wide variety of foods, fruits, fiber, complex carbohydrates, low-fat options and the right amount of vitamins and minerals.
After talking to many friends, classmates and people behind me in line at the OtterDen, I have come to the realization that I am not the only person on this campus who believes we deserve healthy food choices with more nutritional value. As a campus, we need to come together. Students have to voice their opinions if we want changes to be made.
“The real thing that we’re trying to do is encourage students to come forward with their ideas,” McGhee said. “We want your input.”
He encourages students to write comment cards and contact him or Debbie Robinson, the director of operations, if we want to make a change.
