By Rebecca Harrelson, Staff Writer

Published in print Mar. 4, 2015

As students with the upcoming grand option of a new recreational facility, costing extremely high amounts, we have the option or exercising our bodies in the gym and our minds in the classroom. However the amount of healthy food and drink options on UNCG’s campus is a tad disconcerting. For those who choose to have the Flex option as their meal plan, their healthy limits are sparse. On the ground level of the EUC we are lucky enough to have a Jamba Juice, Subway and Wild Greens as our main healthy options. However with the still present Naked juices (which in reality are pretty terrible for us), energy drinks, desserts and faux healthy snacks taking up most of our markets and vending machines we are all doomed to purchase/consume terrible unhealthy food at least a couple times a week.

I am in no way an avidly healthy eater; I drink a copious amount of coffee during the week and frequent the healthy options in the EUC less than the other options in the food court. However if we as a University can spend ungodly amounts on new facilities and building up athletics we to-be-sure can stock old buildings with the healthiest and most convenient food options.

“According to the most recent data, two states have adult obesity rates above 35 percent, 20 states have rates at or above 30 percent, 43 states have rates at or above 25 percent and every state is above 20 percent” reads the state of obesity web page.

I would much rather be known as a school with some of the healthiest options for students, publicized just as much as the unhealthy options rather than a school that is building a recreational center for a billion dollars. More students eat on campus than go to the rec center, we should be perfecting and adding personality to the campus we already have built rather than adding flashy new buildings. The incredibly high prices of snacks, drinks and other items sold in the Spartan Markets may be trying to deter us from purchasing less than stellar food items but the healthy options are just as expensive if not more so.

I say we start perfecting our campus in so many other ways before trying to add to its geographic coverage.