SPOTLIGHT: How Nigeria’s Dorothy Akpovwa’s tweet inspired solution to New York University students’ meal crisis

When Dorothy Akpovwa, a computer science student at New York University (NYU), took to social media to vent her spleen on the meal situation at the institution amid an ongoing quarantine policy, she probably did not envisage the post would generate much attention. 

“This is what NYU gave us to eat yall looks like im going to look like a skeleton once quarantine is over because imagine me eating this. How does this food combination even make sense?” she had written on Twitter.

The post, however, became viral after some international media outlets used it in their reports on the issue.

The institution is billed to resume physical classes on September 2.

But as part of measures to combat spread of the coronavirus pandemic, it introduced a policy requiring students coming in from foreign countries or restricted areas to quarantine for two weeks.

In a statement on Saturday, the varsity also promised to “provide students with three complimentary boxed meals and a snack per day” during the period including those who have dietary restrictions

Barely few days after the commencement of the initiative, however, the 2,600 students quarantining within the school’s premises complained about poor quality of meals and delivery of food at stipulated periods.

The ugly situation had informed Akpovwa’s post after she received one of her meals — a watermelon-cucumber chicken salad — on Thursday. The post has since has garnered 40 shares and 17 comments.

The 19-year-old Georgia-based Nigerian told CNN that she got her complete meals on the first day but had to wait till 10pm the next day before her dinner was delivered.

She added that aside late food delivery, the meals also often lack the required total calorie intake for a day.

The post fetched Akpovwa an interview with the USA Today, wherein she further narrated the plights of the students.

Her post and that of her colleagues had also attracted the attention of the varsity’s management who in turn announced measures to addressed the situation.

In a statement on Thursday, the institution apologised over the development, promising to find a lasting solution to the situation.

“We are aware of the students’ complaints, which are valid. This is a never-before-tried operation for us and our food vendor, Chartwells (ie, large-scale delivery of meals to student rooms,” the statement partly read.

“We are dismayed that this didn’t go off as planned, we and Chartwells apologize to the students, and we are committed to correcting this promptly.”

In addition, the institution has announced that each of the student affected would get a $100 e-giftcard to spend on food delivery, according to CNN.