You may have noticed that the lounge located in the lower level of Vandenberg Hall has disappeared and been transformed into what is now a dining hall. Yes, another dining hall.

Many may wonder why it was necessary to build this when the campus is filled with places to eat. However, replacing the pool table and big screen TV for an eating area may not have been such a bad idea. It offers new and healthier eating options for students.

One thing that makes this area serving breakfast, lunch and dinner so different is the “Terra Ve” station. This is a vegan and vegetarian station where students can enjoy fresh produce and healthy meals. It is said that in the future this part of the dining area will feature organic products from the student organic farm.

“This is a partnership that we want to introduce and feature,” said, Gerald Gatto, resident district manager of Chartwells at Oakland University. It’s a really good selling point for the farm and a great opportunity for us to use organic foods.

Now, produce is brought to OU six days a week. Gatto explained that it may be difficult to get enough of the products they need from the student organic farm during the school year.

“We have to see what kinds of products are available from the farm during that time,” Gatto said. “We haven’t really identified what we are going to use yet.”

However, there is still an interest in bringing the organic produce from the farm into the dining hall. The products are to be used for catering as well.

“This plan is to be associated with our hoop house produce once it is up and running,” OU professor Fay Hansen said.

Although the dining hall in Vandenberg is not yet featuring the organic farm products just yet, it will be a new and refreshing experience for students looking to eat healthy.

“We are all excited about making this happen in time,” Hansen said.