Dining at BU

FOOD! Who doesn't love food? The majority of us are hungry almost all the time, and most of the population eats at least three times a day. College students, in particular, with raging metabolisms, high-impact sports activities, running around campus, expending energy talking, walking, doing homework, even sleeping, need adequate fuel to power through the day. That being said, Boston U does a great job of keeping us nourished, in the most eco-friendly of ways!

On the second day of FYSOP, our group actually got to take a tour behind-the-scenes of 100 Bay State Road, the new international dining hall on campus. 100 BSR is a HUGE, brand-new building in east campus with two levels of food courts, a basement for late night dining and about four more levels for the Center for Student Services, Educational Resource, study rooms, classrooms, and state-of-the-art seating areas!

It's a very modern, clean, dining hall that features a stations such as waffle-makers, pizza, fresh-made pasta, vegan/gluten free options, salad bar, cereal dispensers, goldfish-cracker dispensers, desserts (creme brulee was my favorite!), ice cream machines, sandwiches, burger/fries, fresh fruit-infused waters (cantaloupe water, say what?!), Indian and stir-fry.

Of course, it's popular for obvious reasons, but what makes it super special for me is that they try to make it green as possible!

A few of the eco-adjustments that make a huge difference at 100 BSR:
- SMALL portions, to reduce food waste
- Locally grown produce/fish are served
- Low-flow water systems for bathrooms, sinks, and washing machines
- They compost all food waste, plastics made of corn, napkins, paper waste, etc.
- The compost is first COMPACTED, in order to reduce waste-transportation energies
- The elevators reuse their own energy in a hybrid system
- GREEN ROOF!
- Furniture and infrastructure are mostly made of recycled materials
- Conveniently located; students bike or walk to get food
- Fluorescent lighting
- Air conditioning, heat, and light are motion-sensitive, so if nobody's occupying a room, energy is not wasted

For these efforts, 100BSR has earned a LEED Gold Standard standing, the second highest to Platinum!

Check out the specifics here:
http://www.bu.edu/sustainability/what-were-doing/green-buildings/center-for-student-services/

I'm proud to eat at such a sustainable dining hall!