When students arrived on campus at the end of August, they were greeted with a pleasant surprise: Cox Hall had been renovated, and almost all of the dining options were replaced. New eateries in Cox include Twisted Taco, Top Hat Pizza and Atlanta-based D.B.A. Barbecue. Another important addition was the Cox Convenience Corner (C3), which offers students a variety of items. The quality of food offered has improved significantly, and we at the Wheel believe that Cox’s renovations and culinary upgrades represent a positive step for campus dining.
Given the favorable additions to Cox Hall, it’s clear that the Food Advisory Committee at Emory (FACE) paid a great deal of attention to the feedback it solicited at the end of last school year. The addition of D.B.A. to the lineup has given a tangy barbecue twist to Cox’s previously blander palate. Yes, some restaurants do fall into familiar categories as those that came before: Top Hat Pizza in place of Pizza Hut, Twisted Taco in place of Salsa Rico. But the new additions offer much-improved versions of the original fare. Given the vast cultural diversity represented at Emory, properly satisfying the campus’ tastes can be a real challenge. Despite this challenge, we feel that FACE and Emory Dining have succeeded in offering a diverse – and satisfying – selection of dining options. However, we are disappointed by the lack of abundant organic, preservative-free healthy choices.
While we are pleased by the addition of the Cox Convenience Corner, we believe that there are a few important items not yet for sale. At a university that actively promotes sexual health and safe sex, it seems counterintuitive that the C3 does not sell over-the-counter contraceptives.
Another important addition to Cox Hall was the relocation of the Green Bean coffee cart from its post by Cannon Chapel to the coffee shop location next to Freshens. While the move to Cox gives more students the opportunity to enjoy the Green Bean’s coffee, we feel a pang of sadness and nostalgia that the Green Bean cart is no longer in existence. Although Sodexo oversees the Green Bean and the change did not affect the quality of its coffee, we believe that the cart, conveniently located on the way to classes for so many students, made the Green Bean unique. Now, it feels like just another Cox eatery.
Other changes to Emory dining include a variety of upgrades to the DUC’s food service. Students have been raving about the DUC’s new orange juice and the increased availability of fruit, including a variety of antioxidants-bearing berries. To accommodate those with food allergies, peanut butter is now served in sealed containers. Although the changes to the DUC were not, on the surface, as profound as those made in Cox Hall, they serve to emphasize the point that small changes can make a big difference.
The above staff editorial represents the majority opinion of the Wheel‘s editorial board. No editorial board members affiliated with Sodexo voted in this staff editorial.
The Emory Wheel was founded in 1919 and is currently the only independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University. The Wheel publishes weekly on Wednesdays during the academic year, except during University holidays and scheduled publication intermissions.
The Wheel is financially and editorially independent from the University. All of its content is generated by the Wheel’s more than 100 student staff members and contributing writers, and its printing costs are covered by profits from self-generated advertising sales.
