By Olivia Martin | Contributor
Looking for a place beside the dining hall to grab a quick bite on campus? Try the Bill Daniel Student Center. There you’ll find Panda Express, Chick-fil-A, Steak n Shake, Slow Rise Pizza and Sushi to Go… The options are plentiful. Trying to eat healthier? Check out Freshii, where the meals are extremely expensive for the budget of a college kid and is only open for lunch, between 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Whether it be grabbing a bite in between classes or studying for longer periods of time, the SUB is a central place that many students find themselves at throughout the day. Unfortunately, the SUB lacks options for people who are looking to eat non-fast food, which should be a concern for Baylor as many students have to settle for the convenient fast food.
The SUB is not the only place that lacks healthier options, but it is the perfect place to start implementing alternatives. The Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation, for example, has a store called Au Bon Pain, which offers students healthy choices such as soups, sandwiches and salads. Although this is a great alternative for business students, others who don’t have classes in that building don’t necessarily have time to get to the edge of campus simply for a healthy alternative.
“I wish that Au Bon Pain was in the SUB because I am not a business major, and so I never go all the way over to the business school because it is inconvenient for me,” said Leawood, Kan., freshman Jessica Steggerda. “They offer fruit and other healthy options that would be so nice to have if they were easily accessible to me.”
Moving from California to Texas was quite an adjustment for me as I had grown up with healthy food being the norm and easily having access to it. If Baylor would consider adding other options besides fast food, I believe that our campus would benefit significantly, and students like myself would be extremely grateful.
Students would not be the only group being affected by this positive change, but Baylor’s faculty and employees would also have more choices. Visitors who were touring or simply passing through would be able to see how our university cares about its students by providing healthy alternatives to those who are interested in a healthier diet or have food allergies. Grosse Pointe Park, Mich., freshman Hannah-Grace Lemanski talked about her struggles with finding food on campus that coincides with her own diet.
“I rely on healthy food to fuel my body properly, but find it extremely hard to do at this campus which offers a very minimal amount of healthy options,” Lemanski said of retail dining options.
For any well-known college in 2019, providing students with healthy options is a must. For Baylor, the first step should be implementing healthier options in the SUB. Adding to-go sandwiches and salads in the refrigerated area where there is currently sushi is just one idea of the simple changes that could be made. Since the SUB is a place of constant action with students studying, events being hosted and visitors passing through, I think it is the perfect place to start.
Olivia is a freshman journalism major from San Mateo, Calif.
