Oklahoma City University’s Dining Services, like most parts of our campus community, seem to be making improvements for inclusivity, with dietary restrictions being a major focus for the Dining Services in the past few years.
Throughout my three years at OCU, I’ve seen Kitchen 1904 opened and embraced by students and faculty, the change from actual plates, silverware and cups to plastic and paper, a stronger focus on dietary restrictions in the cafeteria and Alvin’s and the cafeteria remaining a beacon of hope when the rest of the University was shut down during ice storms.
Constant change leaves nothing untouched, and the OCU Dining Services are no exception to this; however, I believe that these changes are leaving a better Dining Service behind them.
Alvin’s Market has added several items focused on students with dietary restrictions, with foods focused on celiac disease, vegetarian or vegan options, as well as a constantly changing choice of snacks, drinks, and grab-and-go meals for students who just want something new.
Kitchen 1904 not only has soups of the day, but has started making seasonal and weekly items available, as well as adding a new menu item in the Burger’s Burger and more spice to a menu that remains constant throughout the year.
The cafeteria has arguably seen the least amount of improvement, but changes for the students can still be seen, with a bigger push for foods that work for dietary restrictions.
Most students have a negative story about the campus dining venues, from something like a bone in a chicken breast, hair in mashed potatoes or vermin being spotted in the cafeteria to just not being able to find food options available for their dietary restrictions.
The Dining Services do not always meet students’ wants or expectations. This is understandable with how many people the dining venues employ, how many students they must provide for, and how much food is made available every day, making the improvements even more important, but I think that students should still be able to continue to push for better.
Longer hours and more choices in Alvin’s Market and Kitchen 1904, as well as more dietary restriction healthy foods in the cafeteria are some of the suggestions I have heard from other students. Another suggestion would be keeping the Dining Services open longer during breaks for students such as RA’s and athletes who are mandated to stay longer or return earlier.
While OCU’s dining services do seem to be making moves to add diversity to meals and snacks, there are still several areas that could continue to be improved on to better support the student body.
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