Every day, students filing into their first class of the day grab a granola bar or a clementine for breakfast from Uni’s kitchen. According to Uni Director Elizabeth Majerus, when she became director in 2019, concerns about Uni not offering breakfast or lunch, led to the creation of Uni’s breakfast.
Set out by Office Manager Sheree Denham daily, breakfast is available until 10-10:30 a.m. daily and consists of varied fruit and an assortment of granola bars. Majerus says the funding for the breakfast comes from a donor fund for student needs. Suggestions for the program are welcomed by Majerus, as long they fit a few criteria.
The specific items available for breakfast are meant to fulfill nutritional needs. Majerus adds, “They usually have whole grains and other nutritious ingredients like nuts or other protein sources.” According to Denham, the motive behind breakfast is “to provide some type of nourishment for the students who get to school and sometimes don’t have time to get breakfast at home.”
Majerus emphasizes the value of granola bars, being “Relatively inexpensive … very easy to set out, individually packaged and keep well … We wanted to provide some fruit and something that was like a grain.”
During finals week, Majerus adds that yogurt and string cheese are provided to give a wider selection during those major times. When Denham purchases the items, she sometimes has the chance to grab different items, like bananas and other kinds of granola bars.
“People get tired of granola bars every day, so I try to change it up a bit and have something different,” she adds.
Most students appreciate the breakfast offered.
“The breakfast at Uni is tasty, like the bars, the chewy bars, those are really good,” Sophomore Renee Wang exclaims.
Senior Daniel Terziev says, “Sometimes I leave my house in a rush, so I have food I get to eat in class.”
Sophomore Sophia Deltas agreed, saying, “It saves me so much time because I need to be at Uni very early.”
If a student wants to suggest a change to breakfast, Majerus has a few criteria to consider: “Something that has a relatively reasonable price point and is easy to store, that keeps for a while.”
When asked if breakfast was here to stay, Majerus stated, “Eating something substantial is doing your best in thinking and learning, so I would hope it will stay.”
“Obviously we can’t offer eggs and pancakes but yeah … I foresee it staying for a while,” Denham adds.
