Spoon University, a national food blog with chapters at 122 other universities, launched a chapter at Hopkins on Wednesday.
In 2013, Spoon University was founded by Northwestern University graduates Mackenzie Barth and Sarah Adler. The blog began as a print publication and has since moved online.
Sophomore Keri Gawlik, who serves as editor-in-chief of the blog, organized the Hopkins chapter this semester. The team consists of editors, staff and freelance writers, along with photographers, videographers and a marketing team.
“The whole purpose is to encourage students to eat more intelligently, to cook more in their dorms, to be more engaged and try things around campus,” Gawlik said. “[It’s a] great resource for college kids to have in order to be able to be on their own and not depend so much on the dining hall.”
Gawlik also outlined the Hopkins-specific objectives of the chapter, which will post student reviews of local restaurants and features about on-campus food.
“The goal for the Hopkins chapter, which is pretty similar to the goals of other chapters [is to] engage Hopkins kids in the Baltimore food scene,” she said. “People don’t know or take advantage of that; there are so many acclaimed chefs and restaurants that people can try.” Posts will include restaurant reviews, dorm room cooking hacks and tips on eating healthy in college.
“Some kids are always going to complain about dining hall food,” Gawlik said. “You definitely have to get creative, and that’s where Spoon University comes in. There is room to get creative.”
Sophomore Clementine Guelton, marketing director of the Hopkins chapter, said the blog aims to increase students’ awareness of popular restaurants in the area.
“[The goal] is to teach them how to be on a college budget and spending money on good restaurants or restaurants that other students like,” Guelton said.
All freshmen, as well as sophomores living in Charles Commons or McCoy Hall, are required to have meal plans. There are multiple dining facilities on campus, including the Fresh Food Café (FFC), Levering Market, Nolan’s, the Charles Street Market (Char Mar) and Bamboo Café that accept meal swipes or dining dollars.
Gawlik praised Bon Appétit for the variety of healthy meals that it provides for students.
“Overall, [Bon Appétit is] a really good system,” she said. “There are a lot of options for kids. I applaud their commitment to sustainability and the farm-to-table aspect.”
Guelton explained that it can be difficult for students to curb their spending at facilities, such as Char Mar, that do not accept meal swipes.
“We don’t know how to use [Char Mar] without spending so much money,” Guelton said. “Students can make a meal out of Char Mar food.”
Gawlik said she hopes the Hopkins chapter will help students expand their meal options and get off campus.
“Ideally, I would love for it to be a big thing: kids sharing it on social media and making it a huge presence on campus, for kids to not depend on meal plans for every meal and getting out of the Hopkins bubble, making their college experience in Baltimore a more well-rounded one,” Gawlik said.
Many of the chapter’s posts will focus on campus-related food resources; for example, Spoon University plans to feature the food that will be served at Spring Fair.
The chapter will also features articles that do not specifically focus on the University. Those articles could potentially be highlighted on its national website.
The chapter will be holding a launch party on April 17 with free food and food-related activities.
Although this semester’s staff has already been selected, there are still opportunities for students interested in writing freelance pieces.
