When you survey just about any student on campus with a meal plan, you can bank on he or she saying that Boyd is his or her’s least favorite dining hall.
I, however, have always stuck up for Boyd, saying it’s really not that bad because it honestly isn’t. There’s really no gross difference in the amount of options you have, and for those who live on West Green — as I have this year and last — it’s more than convenient.
However, it certainly still has its faults.
Let’s start with the actual dining hall. My main issue may seem petty, but when you think about it, it’s actually quite annoying. Both Nelson and Shively have carry-out options for any time you swipe in, any day of the week. Boyd only allows carryout on the weekends. Herein lies the reason why I frequently have nine or so meals to spend in the market each week. I do not always have the time to sit in the dining hall each night or sometimes I’m just too lazy to coordinate with friends and don’t feel like sitting in the dining hall by myself, though Boyd is actually the go-to dining hall for eating alone. I don’t understand what the major inconvenience is to have those carryout containers available every day. We will take the mess to our rooms, so there’s less for them to clean up, and less dishes for them to wash. Plus, the more important reason, I am paying $5,428 for the year for my Flex 14 plan; I should be able to get my meal however I please.
Now you may just say go get Grab ‘N Go from Boyd. I do. Trust me, I really, really do. I think I’ve gotten Boyd Grab ‘N Go just about every day for lunch for the past two years. I get a turkey sandwich on wheat bread every day. Want to know why I do that? Because the other entrée options aren’t favorable in my attempts to eat well.
The chip station is always jam-packed, as well as the cookies, and there are always pans of chicken tenders and fries coming out, but what about offering some sides that won’t make me end up loosening my belt by another notch?
Sure, there is the occasional banana and apple offered, as well as the option to grab a salad, but the fruit often runs out and the salad paired with a sandwich is simply too much food and I’m not one to eat a salad as my main meal.
All I ask is that they try to offer vegetables as hot sides or make sure to keep up with the vanishing fruit racks. Offer the grilled chicken as well as the chicken tenders. Offer mashed potatoes instead of french fries. Instead of a chip stand, maybe put in a bar to package up fruit on the go, like grapes, strawberries or melon.
It’s hard enough for students already to make healthy decisions, but when fries, chips and cookies are always within reach, it’s hard to keep the will power up every day.
Meryl Gottlieb is a stringer for The Post’s culture staff and a sophomore studying journalism. Do you struggle to eat well and wish it were easier? Email her at mg986611@ohiou.edu.
