Colleges strive to offer their students the best education possible, but often, the food is simply overlooked. Coming from a school that is ranked in the top 10 for "worst campus food in the nation," I know how important food is in the daily life of a busy college student. Some days, the dining hall options are honestly vile. I often find myself eating a meager meal mostly consisting of carbs, or simply not eating at all because of the quality of the food. Drew University, catered by Aramark, is getting a bad reputation among current students due to the food dilemma. Sure, I am getting a great education, but I am also suffering from the after-effects of consuming unhealthy, processed garbage for every meal of the day.
The problem is not the catering services, it is the institutions that choose them. Catering services like Aramark and Sodexo are obviously not capable of providing students with decent quality food, but million-dollar institutions, such as a college, should be. Colleges and universities have the capability to employ culinary trained chefs and buy their food locally from trusted producers, but it all depends on whether they want to spend the extra dollar.
Food is how you function. Without sustainable, healthy food options on campus, students may not be able to produce their best work. How do colleges expect to keep their high rankings if their students are unable to produce quality work? Aramark, for example, claims they are "enriching and nourishing lives" with the food they provide.
Above is a picture taken directly from an Aramark-provided dining hall. Looks delicious, right?
The Aramark website states that "For more than 75 years, we have been creating memorable and innovative experiences." Speaking from experience, the only thing innovative about the food is its ability to outdo itself by getting worse and worse each week, and the only thing memorable about it is the time I've spent in the bathroom after eating dinner.
All I am asking is that colleges and universities provide the best possible food options for their students. If students are petitioning the food provider on campus, then do something about it. If students are constantly getting sick from lack of preparation and maintenance issues, then do something about it. If students simply detest the food, then do something about it. Its time that universities listen to the stomachs of their students.
