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TAYLOR JOHNSTON
05.25.17
All over campus and uptown Athens, there are many different opportunities for students to get various types of food for free.
University Program Council offers free food for students every Wednesday through a program called Flavor of the Week.
“We pick a theme based off of events that are taking place that week and find foods that go along with that event,” Hannah Hershfield, UPC’s public relations executive, said. “(The last week of classes) was throwback, so we picked throwback foods. It starts at noon till we run out of food.”
Funded through the Senate Appropriations Commission, the program provides students with the opportunity to try new foods for free. Hershfield said the majority of UPC’s events offer some type of food for students.
Other organizations host events throughout the year that offer free food to students as well. One of the events being the Unity Fest Outdoor Festival, hosted by the Black Student Cultural Programming Board. There is also the International Street Fair, hosted by the International Student Union, that gives students the opportunity to try food from around the nation for just a couple of dollars.
Some academic colleges host events that offer free food for students. One college that does that is the Scripps College of Communication, which hosts events throughout the year that are free to students and offer complimentary food, such as coffee and donuts, to students.
Liz Moughon | FILE
Different cuisines of street food were available at the International Street Festival on April 15, 2017.
Before OU sporting events, businesses often donate food for the university to hand out to students. While all basketball games are free to students with their student ID, they can maximize that on days when free food is served.
“I got free McDonalds at a school-sponsored tailgate prior to a football game,” Nikolas Wright, a rising sophomore studying philosophy, said. “The free food was good and gave me and my friends something fun to do and hang out before the game.”
When students walk through Baker Center, they are presented with another opportunity for free food by individuals tabling on the first floor or by the doors outside of the fourth floor.
When walking on Court Street, students can find restaurants with weekly discounts and deals, such as Franco’s Pizza, which offers meal discounts throughout the week. Another business on Court Street, Brenen's Coffee Cafe, offers food giveaways on Twitter and Facebook.
Another business that is often geared toward students is D.P. Dough, which offers daily deals and a weekly special of two calzones at a discounted price.
First Presbyterian Church, a church on Court Street, offers free lunch on Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for college students. The Rev. Robert Martin said they have been serving free lunch for about 30 years.
“It becomes its own little community after a while,” Martin said. “Everybody is really polite, students will thank the cooks and say they’ll come back next week.”
Correction: A previous version of this article misstated which commission funds the Flavor of the Week program. It is funded through the Senate Appropriations Commission. The article has been updated to reflect the most accurate information.
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This story is part of a series of specially designed stories that represents some of the best journalism The Post has to offer. Check out the rest of the special projects here.