A facelift for two Ohio University dining halls has attracted the appetites of hungry students and subsequently polarized preferences for certain dining establishments.
The number of students who purchased a meal plan increased after the completion of renovations to Nelson Court and Shively Court, according to a recent study published by Ohio University Culinary Services. The newly renovated halls also serve as the favored establishments for students with a meal plan, serving about 3,800 to 4,300 meals a day.
Boyd Dining Hall food court serves approximately 1,900 meals a day, and Jefferson Dining Hall serves about 850 meals a day. When combined, the four dining halls provide more than 52,500 meals per week.
“I like Nelson better because of the diversity of selection,” said Tiffany Francis, a freshman studying biology. “Boyd is the worst, because I got food poisoning, and the food is gross.”
Tim McVey, a junior studying history, had a similar opinion of Nelson, specifically applauding the food selection.
“I like Nelson because it’s bigger, has more food and I love new stuff,” he said.
Culinary Services has worked to update and improve the interior of the dining halls as well as the meal options offered to the 8,276 students with a meal plan, he said.
“The ultimate goal is to please the majority of the students,” said Rich Neumann, the director of residential dining, about the renovations to the halls. “It’s impossible to please everyone, but we look at what the majority says they want, and we try to tailor our services to what the majority wants to see.”
The number of meal plans purchased during the past three years has increased 73 percent among students who live off campus, according to the same study. About 7,206 on-campus students and 1,070 off-campus students have a meal plan.
“As far as the number of on-campus meal plans, it’s roughly the same as last year,” Neumann said. “As far as off-campus meal plans, we have an increase from last year and have a really big increase in comparison to four years ago.”
Overall, Neumann said the reaction to the renovations has been positive.
Recently, the department conducted a survey through Survey Monkey to gather student reactions to the dining halls. Thought set to wrap up Nov. 11, the survey has since been extended through the holiday weekend.
“I think the reaction has been very positive,” Neumann said. “(Tuesday) morning I met with a group of student athletes to get their feedback, and they were very complimentary with the changes we have made with the meals at Nelson and even at Boyd, since a majority live on West Green.”
lf328610@ohiou.edu
This story has been modified from its original version. The original story stated that the survey ended on Nov. 11, but the survey end date has since been extended.
