Students looking for recipe inspiration beyond the classic peanut butter and jelly will soon be able to go online to find Boston College-specific recipes, restaurant reviews, and cooking tips.
Spoon University, currently at 45 colleges and universities nationwide, is a website that consists of opinion pieces, reviews, cultural pieces, and recipes written by students. The site was founded by two students at Northwestern University to help college students eat better.
The culinary media network consists of approximately 1000 student contributors from colleges across the nation. Julianna Khoury, A&S ’17, is in the process of starting a Spoon University club at BC with Phillip Schneider, A&S ’17, Kristina Downey, A&S ’17, and Maria Battaglia, CSOM ’17.
Khoury contacted the marketing manager of Spoon University to start the process of bringing the media organization to BC. She also brought Real Food BC and professor of English Lynne Anderson at BC into the process of furthering Spoon University’s potential presence at BC. Khoury, Schneider, Downey, and Battaglia intend to boost participation and create a new club. Their goal is to grow BC membership to 20 students by their application deadline on Jan. 25.
“Boston College students are exposed to this great city with so many great food opportunities,” Khoury said.
“It only takes four voices on campus to get everyone to know about something,” Downey said.
Khoury, Schneider, Downey, and Battaglia are exploring ideas for content and how they can engage a larger audience, and they are open to new ideas that could potentially enhance the site and make it more accessible for students.
“Everyone should get involved because everyone loves food,” Khoury said. “It’s a lie if they say they don’t.”
The website also features grocery stores specific to different health needs as well as reviews of local restaurants. Spoon University includes recipes for making brownies in your microwave, for example, and provides the reader with ways in which they can use ingredients they already have to make something unique.
All of the articles on the Spoon University website are written by college students and are intended for college students. The website strives to expand college students’ knowledge of food and improve how they incorporate it into their daily lives both innovatively and creatively.
Downey is living off campus next year and expects to frequently cook meals. She plans to document her culinary efforts through regular, informal articles. Battaglia intends to focus on the food and restaurants that are along the Freedom Trail, while Schneider plans to focus on restaurant reviews.
“You don’t have to be someone who wants to pursue food as your career for it to be a huge part of who you are and what you become,” Downey said.
