2008 Woodie Awards
Students Care too Much, or Sodexho Cares too Little?
Michael Smith
Issue date: 3/9/05 Section: Perspectives
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There is always some way to find fault with the food service at a college. There is always some question as to what the cafeteria trays are filled with exactly. There are quite frequently complaints about the chefs' singular choice of seasoning, salt. They just seem to love salt. The weekend food seems to be Monday through Thursday's dishes rehashed into some new, unsavory concoction. These issues with the food service do not belong solely to Manhattan. There are lots of schools that have far worse of a situation, but the din of complaints about Sodexho's services here has risen to a low roar as of late. If one is paying attention during the dinnertime rush, at least a handful of dejected groans can readily be heard about the quality, or lack thereof, of the food being served. Conversations along the lines of deciding whether something is "flounder" or "turkey cutlet marsala" are frequent in Locke's Loft. However, students' personal opinions and complaints of this nature do not make grounds for any large upheaval or change. They do not make the basis for a legitimate article either. Other students here, though, are much more justified in their criticism.
Joe Regan is a sophomore at Manhattan who is distressed with the situation. He recently wrote a letter to a number of likely interested parties about his experience with the food service here at school. School President Br. Thomas Scanlan, Sodexho General Manager Eric Sassnet, and The Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan NY all have received a copy of Joe's letter. Among a number of issues he broached, one in particular will most likely capture the attention of those three aforementioned recipients and the majority of students who frequent the school's cafeterias as well. Early on in his letter Joe informs the reader, "Just today, I had picked up a freshly prepared slice of pepperoni pizza from the cafeteria, and the crust had split. Inside of it were patches of black mold." Although the exact type of mold he found is unknown as of yet, some molds can cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems in susceptible people. A few molds produce poisonous substances called mycotoxins that can make people sick. This being said, is this a situation for Manhattan students to tolerate? Should they continue paying, well, being overcharged for food, as Joe's discovery would indicate, that could possibly make them sick?
Joe Regan is a sophomore at Manhattan who is distressed with the situation. He recently wrote a letter to a number of likely interested parties about his experience with the food service here at school. School President Br. Thomas Scanlan, Sodexho General Manager Eric Sassnet, and The Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan NY all have received a copy of Joe's letter. Among a number of issues he broached, one in particular will most likely capture the attention of those three aforementioned recipients and the majority of students who frequent the school's cafeterias as well. Early on in his letter Joe informs the reader, "Just today, I had picked up a freshly prepared slice of pepperoni pizza from the cafeteria, and the crust had split. Inside of it were patches of black mold." Although the exact type of mold he found is unknown as of yet, some molds can cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems in susceptible people. A few molds produce poisonous substances called mycotoxins that can make people sick. This being said, is this a situation for Manhattan students to tolerate? Should they continue paying, well, being overcharged for food, as Joe's discovery would indicate, that could possibly make them sick?