‘Food Truck Fridays’ bring diverse menu options Demetrius Dillard @ddillard112 Online Editor
Winston-Salem State introduced “Food Truck Fridays” as part of an objective to create a more diverse, interactive and enriching environment for the campus. They began April 1 and will operate in the Diggs Gallery parking lot every Friday for the remainder of this academic year, April 29. In addition, the trucks’ presence on campus creates a platform for faculty and students to socialize and mingle. Kanesha Leak, the student activities and athletics liaison, is the “Food Truck” organizer. Leak is also a member of the Campus Culture Committee “We thought that it would be a good idea to diversify foods on campus,” said Leak, a 2013 graduate. “So the goal is to have different types of food here, other than the Popeye’s, Subway, [and] the things you always get,” she said. Leak said the food trucks aren’t or won’t be a threat to the eateries spread throughout campus.
“I don’t think it [food trucks] will threaten business for them [other campus eateries] because a lot of students may not have the funds to pay for this or they may not just want what’s out here.” Leak said she started contacting a variety of food trucks in throughtout Triad. The truck vendors’ fee was waived on the kick-off day. But every following Friday there will be a vendor fee, which will go to student to support student scholarships through the Office of Business and Auxiliary Services. In the week following the first Food Truck Friday, the committee received positive feedback, Leak said. “We got a little slack from people saying it may be taking away from Aramark or their facilities, but we’re trying to make sure that everyone is happy,” Leak said. “So we want to make sure that people don’t have to go off campus and waste their gas to go try to find somewhere to park to buy food. We’re bringing the food to them.” Tiffany Seawright, the assistant director of University Recreation and co-chair of the
From left, Melvin Sutton, senior rehabilitation studies major and Alexis Morgan, sophomore exercise science major moving sticks at the Community Garden on April
Photo Credit Desrick Rhooms
Photo Credit Nick Carter
Approximately 2,000 people patronized the food trucks on opening day. The customers included: students; faculty; staff; local residents and visitors for Spring Open House, according to an April 3 article in Winston-Salem Journal. Campus Culture Committee, said she and her committee explored different options for the campus community to network. “The idea came about just trying to get people out and about on Friday, interacting with each other and just having a good time,” Seawright said. “This month [April] is our test month, and we’re going to
do it every Friday, but hopefully if it goes well and we get approval and we’ll offer it [food trucks] every first Friday throughout the next year,” she said. Will Boone, English Department chair, talked about significance of food trucks. “I think the food truck culture is a good idea in terms of community engagement [and] community access, but I think
it’s also needed in a place like North Carolina, where sometimes food establishments are not accessible for students – so students don’t always have an option,” he said. Boone, a native of Newark, N.J. said he is accustomed to food trucks and they play an integral part in the cultural
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Community service project teaches students ‘green thumb’ techniques Desrick Rhooms @drhooms112 Staff Reporter
Winston-Salem State’s students were giving a hand and learning how to garden for themselves as they participated in the community service group at Simon’s Green Acre community garden on April 2. WSSU has been active with the community for three years. The garden was started by the Simon Green Atkins Community Development Corp. and is located at the Enterprise Center, largest building in the company. “The garden was created because people need to learn how to grow healthy food [and], it will help sustain the community. If grocery stores were to go out of business tomorrow, we all should be able to know how to garden,” Carol Davis said. Davis has worked for the Simon Green At-
kins Corp. for 15 years and has worked at the Enterprise Center since 2011. “We need to learn more about the nutrition information labels because the black community tends to have diabetes and become obese,” Davis said. Davis said anybody in the community can plant in the garden on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The community service project’s goal was to help students apply concepts in class while assisting the community, which is practicing social justice. Andrea Patterson-Masuka has taken students from her Communication and Media Studies classes to participate in gardening for the past three semesters.
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