Written by Andrew Rasner
If there's one aspect of dining at Kent State that stands out, it's the variety of offerings afforded to students. Dining halls, restaurants, and the like are placed strategically across campus, so you're never more than a five-minute walk from food (there's even a small cart that drives around campus selling meal-plan provisions). Meal plans can be used in dining halls, at markets, and in the student center at Subway, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Nathan’s, Arthur Treacher's, Jazzman’s Coffee, Damon’s, and other locations. Meal plans offered at Kent are slightly different from those offered at comparable universities. Whereas the primary use of a meal plan at some universities is where a certain number of “swipes” or “meals” are afforded to students, using a meal plan at Kent is more like using a debit card. There are dining halls, but instead of one “meal” granting a student access to an all-he-or-she-can-eat buffet, a student just pays for what he or she takes with a meal plan. An all-you-can-eat buffet may sound like a great deal, but realistically, paying only for what one takes does not allow for meal plans to go to waste as easily.
There are absolutely healthful options available, and the variety of offerings can meet special dietary needs or preferences of students. Overall, the range of meal plans and the variety of the food available means that there are options to suit all students.