Students discuss future on-campus dining options

Janeal Downs
Staff Writer

Students, faculty and staff on Friday, Dec. 6 attended a meeting in West Grace South to discuss the future of on-campus dining.

It was the second meeting that representatives of FeedRVA, Aspire, Green Unity, the Office of Sustainability, VCU Dining Services and other groups attended to discuss food advocacy and education.

“For food day we had a committee of students and faculty and staff that were looking to promote healthy food and promote sustainable food, local food and food insecurity, which is hunger,” said Katherine Vatalaro Hill, assistant director of the Wellness Resource Center.

Topics discussed included ideas for promoting and educating students on Earth day, SNAP benefits, other food related events or topics and ways of improving food options on campus.

“I’m mostly focused on getting more healthy food choices to campus because the selection is very narrow and relatively poor and also localization,” said Philip Louden, a senior environmental studies major.

Louden said he thinks offering a more healthy options on-campus will make it easier for the school to promote healthy eating.

Other suggestions included offering a larger variety of fruit in Shafer Dining Court, healthier food choices in the Commons and more organic food in general.

Matt Smythe, director of operations for VCU dining services, gathered suggestions on how to improve campus food.

“Right now all of our total (food) purchases are somewhere in the mid 20s percent which is local,” Smythe said. “Local we consider Virginia.”