Shaniqua Christian, a cook at Freshens at SUNY Old Westbury, works the register during Common Hour on Sept. 16, 2025. PHOTO BY: SOPHIA ZELAYA
Every afternoon, like clockwork, students at SUNY Old Westbury form a winding line through the Student Union, all hungry for one thing: Freshens. Since its highly anticipated reopening in Fall 2025, the fresh food spot has become more than just a campus eatery. It is a cultural hub, a daily ritual, and for some students, a symbol of how campus life is returning to normal after the pandemic.
And at the heart of it all is Shaniqua Christian, one of the beloved cooks behind the counter.
“I prepare everything back there,” Christian said. “Salad bowls, rice bowls, wraps, flatbreads, quesadillas, smoothies, every item. And I love it. I love the students. I love the healthy food options. I enjoy putting a smile on everybody’s face.”
Back and better than ever
Freshens was shuttered for several years during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving what some students said was a noticeable gap in healthy dining options on campus. Now, just weeks into its reopening, Freshens is drawing comparisons to a food revolution.
“We were super slammed,” Christian said. “And it doesn’t really stop. As soon as you guys come in, the line is all the way to the back.”
That line often forms before the doors even open at 11 a.m. and peaks between noon and 2 p.m., especially during Common Hour. Mobile orders only add to the rush, especially right before closing.
According to Christian, they serve more than 80 students during the day shift alone, not counting the Crave Town program, which runs into hours after midnight and serves just as many students seeking late-night meals.
Why students keep coming back
Students wait 30 to 40 minutes during peak hours, and not just out of necessity. Students say the food is fresh, customizable, and made with care, something they say is worth the wait.
And that care is intentional.
“I’m a mom of five,” Christian said. “So what you guys eat is important to me. Because when my son attends college, I want someone to have the same love and care for the food he’s receiving. That’s why we make sure everything is fresh for y’all.”
It is not just about nutrition, either. Christian sees her work as a service to the students she never got to become.
“I never got the opportunity to go to college,” she said. “So just to be in the presence of other people who are living out my dreams, I’m blessed for that.”
Challenges behind the counter
Of course, feeding hundreds of students with customized orders is no small task.
“Sometimes it gets a little complicated to manage all of the orders at one time,” Christian said. “Especially with mobile orders and the in-person line. I have to work extremely fast, but also follow your instructions exactly, including no tomatoes, no this, and no that, while managing allergies. It’s a lot, but I do it because I care.”
So, one may wonder what the hardest part may be.
“Cleaning up,” Christian said, laughing. “But honestly, I love my job, my co-workers, the kids, college, all of it. The hardest part is just the cleaning. But the best part? Being around y’all.”
More than just a meal
For Christian, the job is personal. Students have come to know her not just as a cook, but as a campus personality.
“After a while, the same way I learn you guys, y’all learn me,” she said. “It’s nice to have someone looking forward to seeing me, or to making their meal. Just that smile, that hello, that ‘How are you?’, it means something.”
She recalled one person in particular: Terry.
“He’s hilarious. I already know what he’s gonna order, so I’ll say, ‘Terry, making your food now, I’m gonna make it with love!’ before he even gets to the register. He’s cracking up every time.”
Looking ahead
With more than 4,800 students enrolled and a growing demand for healthier options, SUNY Old Westbury may soon need to rethink its dining strategy. Still, for now, Freshens is enough, thanks in large part to workers like Christian.
“You don’t want anybody else’s child eating junk,” she said. “So I treat all of you like my own.”
Freshens is not just feeding stomachs; it is feeding spirits. In a time when students are still healing from the isolation and instability of the pandemic years, Freshens has offered something both practical and powerful: community.
With every wrap, smoothie, or rice bowl, students are getting more than a meal; they are getting a connection.