By Ian Ording
Before fending for themselves off campus, students get two years in Ohio University’s culinary system. And while it is true the dining hall employees will cook for you, there is still plenty to do with that meal plan other than
just sulk into Boyd Dining Hall and get a burger.
From cupcakes and brick oven pizza at West 82 to “shookies” at Shively Dining Hall, the wide array of dining options on campus might make it difficult for incoming freshmen to fend off the “freshman 15.”
Meal Plans
A meal plan is the first step to indulging in one of the many food stops around campus, which include markets, Grab N Go, Baker University Center and dining halls.
The university offers two different residential meal plan options to suit even the largest appetites. The first is the traditional meal plan, which allows students 10, 14 or 20 meals per week. This plan can be used in all four dining halls as well as Grab N Go locations.
Other plans offer more flexibility.
These “Flex” meal plans are the most popular among students at OU and offer a variety of choices outside of just meals.
These plans are offered at 14 and 20 meals per week. Unlike the traditional option, students can use their leftover meals at the end of the week — or during the week — to grab some groceries at OU “markets.”
Each meal amounts to about $6 at campus markets, which are stocked with everything from frozen dinners to snacks to hair-care products.
In addition, Flex meal plans also offer “Flex points” for each semester in varying amounts. Flex points are essentially cash that can be used at all Baker Center eateries such as The Front Room coffee shop, West 82 food
court and Latitude 39, an upscale restaurant that’s great for a parent visit or on-campus date.
“Of those students with meal plans, currently 63 percent select a Flex meal plan option, which provides maximum flexibility in terms of its use in retail food venues like those of Baker University Center and in our campus markets,”
said Brian Thompson, director of auxiliaries for Dining Services.
Hours
Hours vary between the different eating locations, but with a wide variety, you never have to worry about going hungry.
There is a dining option open at every hour before 12 a.m. A favorite among students is the Grab N Go option.
Each dining hall, except for Jefferson Dining Hall, has a Grab N Go attached to it where students can pick and choose what they want to eat and head off to class with the food if they are in a rush.
Each Grab N Go has its own selections. For instance, Nelson Dining Hall’s Grab N Go features pizza, subs, salads and chicken fingers, while Boyd’s offers a smorgasbord of made-to-order sandwiches and hot foods, from mac and
cheese to chili. All Grab N Go locations are open for lunch and dinner during the week.
The Choices
If you’re missing your mom’s home cooking, Shively Dining Hall on East Green might be where you want to stray to for dinner. The buffet-style dining hall is open from 5:30–8:30 p.m. every weekday except Friday, when it closes at 7:30 p.m. It recently extended its hours to be open on the weekends in the wake of Nelson Dining Hall’s renovation, which is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2013.
Nelson will feature “an all-new residential dining facility, with over 800 seats and new concepts, an expanded campus market and a new campus espresso bar,” Thompson said.
The renovated dining hall’s concept-style dining setup will include all-day breakfast and “Asian fusion,” to name a few.
Shively has different stations such as Fuego, which offers Mexican staples such as nachos and quesadillas, and Touch of Home, which has everything from carved turkey to pasta salads. Shively also serves hand-dipped ice
cream in flavors such as Buckeye Classic and Birthday Cake and has proven to be a student favorite.
“I really enjoyed Shively Dining Hall,” said Sam Golemboski, a sophomore studying video production. “It was a great place to socialize and wind down at the end of the day, and it pretty much had the best food you could get on
campus for a meal swipe.”
Jefferson Dining Hall, also located on East Green, has a few perks itself.
Although it is mostly cafeteria-style, Jefferson features a Wok Bar where students can create their own Asian stir-fry with choices of noodles, meats,
vegetables and sauces.
The dining halls’ mealtimes vary; be sure to consult the dining Web page (located at www.ohio.edu/food) before you make your journey for food.
No matter what you’re craving or how big your appetite may be, there’s a dining option to satisfy your needs, but be mindful of these options, and don’t spend all your swipes in one place.
hm156809@ohiou.edu
io312410@ohiou.edu
