The story focused on the economic changes shaping Orlando and the role �鶹ӳ����ý is playing with its community partnerships and innovation. The reporter talked about the tech and gaming industry and �鶹ӳ����ý’s contributions there, as well as the growing health-sciences cluster anchored by �鶹ӳ����ý’s medical school.

The story also mentioned about how �鶹ӳ����ý is a hot place for college-bound students.

“You can talk to high school seniors anywhere in the southeast and �鶹ӳ����ý is where they want to go to school,” said Warren Miller, a freelance journalist interviewed in the story. “Orlando is perceived as being a hot place to go to college.”

To listen to the story, click .

Aramark, �鶹ӳ����ý’s dining provider, has created a ”Peace of Mind” station that debuted in June at both dining halls. The station was added by the �鶹ӳ����ý Dining Services team in response to a survey of 3,000 students on their dining experiences. In the survey, many students wanted to see more locally grown food options along with increased requests for specific dietary accommodations. The “Peace of Mind” station will “satisfy all these requests in one location,” Aramark said.

“This station is for everyone: anyone who likes to customize their own meal, customers who enjoy healthy options, and allergy-sensitive consumers,” Aramark said.

Guests can create a custom meal by combining fresh, local produce, vegan protein items and gluten-free grains such as rice noodles or quinoa. These custom combinations are then sautéed by a station chef with olive oil or sauces in flavors such as Moroccan vegetable tagine or roasted red pepper.

Knightro’s and Marketplace will also continue to offer existing gluten-free options: gluten-free cheese pizza (upon request), gluten-free Rice Chex cereal, chicken breast and turkey burgers at the grill, select side dishes and select fair-trade, organic Green Mountain Coffee drinks.

More information on �鶹ӳ����ý Dining Services, menus and nutrition facts for Marketplace and Knightro’s can be found at .

Snyder is the author of “Fugitive Denim: A Moving Story of People and Pants in the Borderless World of Global Trade,” which was featured on public radio’s “This American Life” and “Marketplace.” It also won the 2006 Lowell Thomas Award from the Overseas Press Club.

Snyder’s work as a writer and commentator has taken her all over the world. In 1998, Snyder spent two months traveling through Tibet, India and Nepal, where she interviewed the Dalai Lama and charted the progress of one refugee family’s trek from Lhasa to Kathmandu to Dharamsala. Later that same year, Snyder traveled to Honduras to cover relief efforts after Hurricane Mitch.

In 2000, Snyder drove across Cuba watching the island’s social and economic revolution. At the same time, she began spots as an essayist on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” After 9/11, Snyder covered the war in Afghanistan and the future of Afghan women by spending her entire time camped out with the women held at the Kabul Jail for Women. She also covered Aceh, Indonesia in the weeks and months following a devastating tsunami.

In addition to the Global Perspectives Office, sponsors and partners include the Lawrence J. Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, the Orlando Area Committee on Foreign Relations, the Sibille H. Pritchard Global Peace Fellowship program, the �鶹ӳ����ý Global Peace and Security Studies Program, the �鶹ӳ����ý Nicholson School of Communication, �鶹ӳ����ý LIFE, the �鶹ӳ����ý Book Festival 2012 in association with the Morgridge International Reading Center, the �鶹ӳ����ý Political Science Department, the �鶹ӳ����ý International Services Center and the Global Connections Foundation.

�鶹ӳ����ý Dining Services is taking sustainability to the next level by replacing the disposable foam containers with reusable plastic “to-go” boxes at Marketplace and Knightro’s dining halls.

The new boxes are available this week. Made of recyclable plastic, the to-go food boxes are estimated to keep 145,000 disposable foam containers out of landfills this academic year.

“This program is yet another initiative in our ongoing plan to strive toward zero waste and support the sustainability goals of �鶹ӳ����ý,” said Robbie Turner, resident district manager for �鶹ӳ����ý Dining Services/ARAMARK.

When students finish eating their meals in residence halls or other locations, they can trade in the used to-go boxes for clean ones or choose to receive a card redeemable for a new box for their next meal.

The reusable to-go boxes are free for students on a meal plan. Students without meal plans can enroll in the reusable to-go box program at the Marketplace Main Office by paying a $5 deposit, which is refundable at the end of the semester.

Students can also save money by going green with �鶹ӳ����ý Dining Services’ new reusable to-go cups, called “2-in-1 Tumblers,” which will allow users to receive $.99 fountain drink and coffee refills.

Other eco-friendly changes to conserve water and reduce food waste at the dining halls have led to big savings on energy, water, cleaning agents and waste removal.

Since 2008, trayless dining, for example, has saved more than 1.2 million gallons of water and nearly 8,425 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere, according to Eden Wetherell, sustainability coordinator for �鶹ӳ����ý Dining Services.

Marketplace and Knightro’s also host stations that cater to vegetarian and vegan students and cut down on food waste. Knightstop, a convenience store located inside the Student Union, offers organic to-go options in smaller portions for students on the run looking for a quick bite. And instead of discarding fryer oil, �鶹ӳ����ý Dining Services recycles 100 percent of the oil into biofuels that power large trucks and machinery.

Dining Services also recycles coffee grounds collected from the Java City coffee shop in the �鶹ӳ����ý Library, Burger King and Einstein Bros. Bagels located on campus. Nearly 3,000 pounds of grounds are composted each semester and donated to the �鶹ӳ����ý Arboretum’s organic community garden.

To learn more about �鶹ӳ����ý Dining Services and its sustainability initiatives, go to .