Letter to the Editor

Caf. Crisis! Students of Brandon University, particularly those that live in residence, we have a crisis on our hands. We students are forced to eat at the cafeteria, those in res have no choice. It is mandatory to purchase the meal plan at $1,547.20 per semester. This works out to about $15 a day allotted to us.  That’s not a lot to live on and considering the only thing we can have in our rooms is a microwave that cuts our options down even more. We students pay good money for what?

For food that is little better then poison. Let’s face facts. This is a very unhealthy place to live. Not only are the prices of the cafeteria insanely high but the food is unhealthy in itself. Everything is double fried in a vat of grease, even the salad bar boasts mostly rich, creamy salads high in both fat and sugar content. I am a student who has special dietary needs. I am a diabetic and need foods low in carbohydrates, fats and sugars. I also live in res so I have no choice but to eat the cafeteria food. There is VERY little that I can eat in the caf. that will not send my blood sugar levels through the roof and heighten my chances of going into diabetic shock.  I am sure that I am not the only student who requires or would even like healthier, fat reduced and sugar free menu options.

Another issue I have with the cafeteria is the lack of originality.  The specials almost never follow the menu cycle that is posted and even if they do they do not present a variety. For example; if one day the lunch special is a souvlaki pita, the next day the special will be souvlaki wrap. same meal, different bread. Where is the originality? Can you not come up with something new? Not even something simple like greek chicken fettuccine alfredo? That sounds pretty appetizing to me and it was just the first thing that popped into my head when I thought to myself “Hmmm... what can I do with left-over greek chicken souvlaki?” This is not a difficult concept.

So my fellow students, if you are fed up with the cafeteria, fed up with the high prices, the poor quality and variety of food and the lack of nutrition and health foods provided to us, I implore you to, please tell the food services office, write a letter, let your dissatisfaction be known. Perhaps then a change will be made to the horrible and completely unacceptable conditions of the cafeteria.

-Ashton King