As Elon University students mindlessly scroll through Facebook, they often stumble upon recipe and food related articles and videos from outlets like BuzzFeed or Food Network that their friends have shared.
Students now have the opportunity to publish or view similar articles written by their peers with a college twist on Spoon University, a food resource for millennials.
Freshman Jordan Hsu, senior fashion reporter for The Edge, junior Meredith Taylor and junior Caroline Peyser have worked to bring a Spoon University chapter to Elon.
“Spoon University is basically an online platform for students to get connected and be connected around food," Hsu said. "It provides written content including written articles, videos, great pictures and recipes. It’s fundamentally that but it’s geared towards college students.”
Spoon University is the only food website that is made for college students and by college students. The site is continuously growing and is used in more than 100 universities around the United State.
The students that write the articles and create videos at Spoon University take the college budget into consideration and try to introduce students to new, cheap and delicious restaurants in the area and innovative classic recipes.
The content covers everything from these simple, cheap recipes to what to eat when they’re hangover, alone or a vegetarian.
One of Hsu's issues with campus food is how boring and repetitive it becomes and she wanted to offer more options to Elon students.
“I feel like a lot of times when people go to college food is very limited, we have our dining halls, but people often are not sure of what to do, how to eat healthier, or how to make food fun again once they come to college," Hsu said. "It’s time for them to learn that there’s so many things you could do with food even in college that can be affordable, that can be fun, and it’s something you won’t get bored with.”
Though Spoon University is offering more options for students, it will not be competing against Elon Dining.
“Spoon University isn’t rebelling against the dining halls," said Thomas Bowie, the coordinator for residential campus dining and engagement. "With Spoon University you could do different things with the dining halls’ foods. It will be interesting to see what different people eat at the dining halls, so basically it’s giving information to the Elon student body”.
Bowie also believes that Spoon University will be beneficial and well received at Elon’s campus.
“I think the more that students can talk about food and how it can help enrich their experience on campus is always a good thing," Bowie said. "If this is a another venue that students feel confortable discussing food – and I don’t know the limitations of it – but potentially there is a way that Dining can partner to work with how students can eat on the dining halls too. Students are definitely doing a lot of cooking and I think that this would be a great resource for them.”
Spoon University does not only give students advice, ways to eat healthy, recipes and different delicious dishes regarding what the student is craving, but it can also teach students responsibility.
“Spoon University will add to the independence of college and it will help students prepare for when they’re living on their own and won’t have a dining hall to go to,” said freshman Marta Djalleta.
Hsu is excited for Spoon University to help students diversify their dishes and share them with their friends.
“I figured I’m sure a lot of other people like food too so why not get everyone that likes food together so that we could talk about it and learn about something that we are passionate about?” Hsu said.