Every student knows that living on campus has its pros and cons. Small rooms, roommates from hell, having to pay for laundry … these are just some of the things students have come to dislike about living in dorms.
With the opening of a new dining hall, residents were excited about having a new place to eat.
But disappointment soon set in when students realized the new dining hall had no plans for updating the meal options.
On the webpage for FAMU Dining Services it states: “Our goal is to please the various ‘tastes’ of our guests. We have something for everyone because we believe in the importance of good food. Great nutrition helps you to perform better academically and fosters a good outlook on life.”
Although it touts diversity, it is the area where they lack the most. For plant-based or more nutritious-driven students, eating on campus is nearly impossible.
For pharmacy student Rachel McGill, eating at the dining halls is just “not an option at this point.”
McGill, who is at P3 in the school of pharmacy, always goes off campus to eat.
When asked why eating on campus is not an option for her, McGill explained that she “got tired of eating the same thing over and over again.”
A new dining hall would have been the perfect opportunity for FAMU to bring diversity to its dining services but students were met with the same standard of food as the rest of the dining halls.
Because of the lack of diversity in the cafeterias on campus, students are pushed off campus to cater to their hunger needs.
Maya Mancle, a second-year criminal justice major, eats off campus a majority of the time. Although the dining halls are open seven days a week, Mancle eats on campus only “twice a week.”
The webpage for FAMU METZ states: “All students in traditional residence halls are required to sign up for a Mandatory Meal Plan.”
But why should students who live on campus have to rely on the food options off campus to satisfy their hunger needs? Especially when they are required to have a meal plan.
Stores like Greenwise, Vale Food Co, and Natural Kitchen, are all within a two-mile radius of FAMU’s campus. Fortunately, students who are lucky enough to have transportation have a few places they can go for more nutritious food options.