Students, Community Join the Knapps for Apple Day Crunch

BY JENNA SPOONT

(From l to r) GW President Steven Knapp, his wife Diane Knapp, and World-renowned Chef José Andrés bite into apples as part of Apple Day Crunch. (Photo Credit: Jenna Spoont)

Diane Knapp, President Steven Knapp’s wife, welcomed students, faculty and community members in University Yard Thursday to celebrate the Apple Day Crunch. At 12:15 p.m., Diane Knapp, led the “crunch” and encouraged everyone to take a picture of themselves eating an apple.

“There are apples all around campus and we are encouraging everyone to participate,” Diane Knapp said.   “Take an apple, share it, eat it, and it’s a first step in coming to the challenge of eating more healthily.”

The event was hosted by the Urban Food Task Force, which engages students, faculty, staff and volunteers to promote healthy eating and to discuss food policy and sustainability. The Apple Day Crunch was part of the “weeklong extravaganza.” The students that earn the most points for attending lectures, talks and other events, win a nutritious dinner with the The Knapp’s at the F Street House Oct. 31st.

Baskets of locally grown, sustainable apples, from McIntosh to Red Delicious, were free to take.

“It symbolizes what we’re doing...to make our campus a healthier community and a more sustainable community,” President Knapp said. “By thinking about where we source our food from, by thinking about the way we distribute food, by thinking about what our students do when they go to the various restaurants here. So Diane’s got all of these restaurants signed up to promote healthy eating choices for students here, so it’s all part of a comprehensive effort to practice what we teach.”

The Knapp’s were joined by world-renowned Spanish chef José Andrés, who taught the most popular course last semester, “The World on a Plate: How Food Shapes Civilization.” Andrés will teach at GW again in the Spring.

“This is a generation of students that’s really interested in food and interested in all of the issues that food involves,” President Knapp said.

The Center for Student Engagement co-sponsored the Apple Day Crunch and advertised University community service.

“[The Apple Day Crunch] is important because it’s another opportunity to bring light to the people who are working on the issues within the city,” said Maurice Smith, Academic Service Learning Coordinator at the Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service.  “Specifically [the event] highlights that GW is very invested in not only its students learning about healthy issues here at GW, but also within the District and working with our neighbors here.”