5 things: Gender-inclusive bathroom on college’s request list

Each Friday I compile a list that highlights five things you probably missed in the news that week and why you should care about them.

Here’s your list for the week of April 23:

1. Gender-inclusive bathroom on college’s request list

The University of Maryland dining services is projecting to spend $485,000 to renovate bathrooms in the South Campus Dining Hall. The renovations would make them wheelchair and ADA-compliant, as well as making them gender-inclusive. Dining services has saved nearly $250,000 for the project, but is asking the Student Facilities Fund pick up the remaining $230,000.

Read more: Dining Services requests $235k for gender-inclusive, wheelchair-accessible bathrooms

2. Cornell removes lettuce following E. coli outbreak

Following the romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak that has affected more than a dozen states and sickened dozens, Cornell University has removed all romaine lettuce from its 27 campus dining locations. Cornell said there was no indication that the affected lettuce had been in stock, but was removing the lettuce to be proactive.

Read more: Cornell Dining Removes Lettuce from Dining Facilities Out of ‘Abundance of Caution’

3. Dallas threw out $300K of expired food

Dallas ISD has thrown out nearly $300K in expired food, something the district admitted after photos of food being thrown in a dumpster surfaced. The district says it tries to keep food waste to a minimum but noted that the product in question, such as chicken and packets of ketchup, had expired.

Read more: $300K Worth of Food Thrown Out in Dallas ISD

4. Incoming students choosing more expensive meal plans
Incoming students who will be living on campus at the University of Wisconsin at Madison are selecting the school’s more expensive meal plans, with 74 percent choosing the top two tiers, which require a minimum deposit of $2,100. By contrast, the least expensive plan only requires a $1,400 deposit.

Read more: Incoming students largely choosing more expensive tier meal plan, data show

5. District moving away from disposables
Monroe County Schools in Tennessee is moving back to hard trays and away from disposables, saying the move will save $50,000 a year. The district says that the move is not only about saving money but about being more eco-friendly.

Read more: School system to switch back to hard trays in cafeterias

Bonus: Senior dining chef develops diet for longevity

Contact Becky Schilling at [email protected].
Follow her on Twitter: @bschilling_FM