In the wake of changes to the meal plan at Marietta College, concerns about healthy options for students have surfaced. Sophomore student government representative Emily Drabeck has fielded many comments from students both through feedback cards and social media.
Drabeck also began questioning the meal plan system after seeing a tweet that remarked, “If we’re only offering Izzy’s for late-night options, well then we better build a bigger DBRC.”
“It sounds funny, but it’s a very true statement that we don’t have adequate types and varieties of foods that are healthier,” Drabeck said. “Instead we have your staple fast food… and I feel like our generation is really trying to maintain a healthy relationship with food, but without adequate resources to do that, it makes it very difficult.”
Parkhurst representatives Adria Handley and John Shaffer claim that the numbers are showing a change in student eating patterns with a positive rise in attendance at Gilman.
Shaffer reported in an interview on Sept. 11 that everything made in Gilman is from the most affordable local-produce farms, and that all of the eggs are from free-range chickens.
“We try to provide an absolute FDA-balanced diet and we focus on low-sodium and no fat in our ingredients,” Shaffers said. “Aside from all of the General Mills cereal, which is a name brand and completely optional for students, anything behind the line is the best and freshest that we can buy.”
However, some students say that the current options are not meeting their needs. Junior Megan Wrbas is one student affected by the food options available.
“I feel like there’s just not a lot of fresh options.” She said. “Things are sitting out for long periods of time and I have to wonder if my meat is cooked correctly. It’s a game of ‘is it over or under-cooked?’”
Senior Gretchen Miller also is looking for healthier alternatives, especially to the fast-food focus at Izzy’s.
“I feel like my whole meat portion is sketchy,” she said. “I want something to supplement my salad or that I could get in a wrap but not have to pay from my declining.”
Richard P. Keeling, medical professional and editor of the Journal of American College Health, encourages colleges to become more aware of the needs of their students with relation to health because colleges are responsible for infusing “elements of flexibility, resilience, and coherence into students’ academic and personal lives.”
Health professionals say that an important consideration is that college students are at a crucial stage in their development as they transition from parental control over lifestyle behaviors to assuming responsibility for their own health choices.
This change in control gives students the power to choose when and what they eat and how they set their schedules. Some institutions have begun to recognize this concern and those that promote a healthy eating lifestyle are being celebrated by a national organization called the Real Food Generation.
Real Food Generation has launched a campaign that universities and colleges across the nation are beginning to join. The campaign is called the Real Food Challenge and requires institutions to sign a “Real Food Campus Commitment.” By becoming signatories, colleges and universities pledge to buy at least 20 percent of real food annually by the year 2020, which in turn sets a focus on the local economy and community involvement on education.
Twenty-six institutions have joined this movement including Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, George Washington University in the nations capital, and at Oberlin College in Ohio. These schools have pledged to increase institutional transparency and food system engagement as further attention is paid to the basis of nutrition in education.
Although Marietta College is not currently enrolled in this program, student government representatives are working with Parkhurst and the college to understand what health needs are not being met and how satisfaction can be increased. In the meantime, Shaffer and Handley encourage students to fill out online comment cards through the “Your Food Your Voice” page on the college’s website.
