RPS to open health food-oriented stores

Although Residential Programs and Services will close three residential dining facilities next fall, a new eating option will be made available to students. \nRPS has decided to open a new health food-oriented store in both Wright and McNutt Quads called Gaea's Cornucopia. It will be a small shop providing a juice bar, sandwiches, homemade bread, a large salad bar, soups and frozen entrees.\n"Health has been discussed at various times," said Special Services Manager Graham Shepfer. "We wanted to keep all of the services provided from the closing facilities."\nShepfer said RPS has promised that anything lost with the closings would be replaced somewhere within that neighborhood. For instance, since Teter's Hoffman dining hall will be shutting down, the food it provides will be added somewhere in the Central Neighborhood.\nGaea's Cornucopia will be placed in Wright's center store, located on the lower level of the residence hall. While it is undetermined at this point how the new facility will look, Shepfer said RPS believes it will be placed behind the snack bar. He said the location in McNutt is tentative, but the areas under consideration are the coffee shop and center dining room.\n"There is certainly a possibility of remodeling," Shepfer said. "Plans are still up in the air, especially in McNutt."\nRPS has also developed a Web site that offers nutrition facts and ingredient lists for all of its food items. At www.indiana.edu/~dine, students can search for their favorite foods and find out what they are eating. There are also plans to put a kiosk with similar information outside the Wright food court.\nThe demand for health food can be credited to increased student popularity of food court dining.\n"Everything is fried and fast food," freshman Cliff Jack said. "I make sure to always get some fruit, but it isn't the best quality."\nJack said he still eats in a food court every day, and likes it better than traditional dining.\nIndiana is not the only school to face this issue. While corporate names and food courts have popped up across the country, other universities have used creative ways to keep the benefits of board dining in tact.\nAt the University of North Carolina, a facility was remodeled into a huge venue that offers a variety of foods that keep the students' health in mind.\n"We wanted a variety," said UNC's marketing manager April McMahan. "We provide a different ethnic food every day, make chicken to put in salads and even provide a barbecue with green beans."\nAt the University of Virginia, the administration has decided that giving up on board (traditional) dining is a bad idea. Students are not given full access to food courts, as part of their meal plans remain in traditional dining.\n"Students utilize both parts of the meal plan," said Susan Presto, a UVA dining employee. "Board operations cater to a healthier style of eating."\nBut the food courts are taking over, and instead of waiting to see if it is simply a phase, many universities are deciding to react and provide different ways of eating well.