Food at USJ: An Inconvenient and Sickening Situation
Written by Vivian Pawloski
The following article is a student opinion piece. It does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the News Nest staff.
As a freshman entering college for the first time, I was not sure what to expect when it came to the food and dining situations. Would I enjoy all the options? Would I be able to try new foods? Would I get tired of the same options? Well – I am here to say that I have been severely disappointed. Not only are the food options sub-par and limited, but the hours of operation in which students are able to eat at the dining hall are unrealistic and impractical for college students’ busy schedules.
As stated in the 2023-24 Undergrad Viewbook, one-third of the USJ undergraduate population is student-athletes, including myself. It is very important that we athletes keep our bodies fueled and that we incorporate all types of nutrients in our diets. However, this is almost impossible to do when only half of the food stations are consistently open. USJ claims that “Customers will be delighted to find 7 stations including Classics & Co (entrees), Stack deli, Al Dente (pizza and pasta), Grill House (grill), Demo Daily (made to order chef creations), Simple Servings (allergen free dining), Plant Forward (vegan and vegetarian dishes), as well as desserts and more.” Never have I witnessed all stations open at the same time. Very rarely is the Demo Daily station open, and, when it is, it’s only during lunch hours similar to Classics & Co, which is usually only open during dinner. Student-athletes not being able to receive the necessary nutrients needed to perform at the collegiate level can severely harm their health and affect their performance. Not to mention, the food that is available has caused stomach and bowel issues for myself and several other students. Earlier this year, I wrote on the whiteboard outside of my dorm room asking if students were experiencing bowel issues due to the dining hall food. I received an overwhelming number of “yes” tally marks from my fellow students and very few “no’s” in just a 24-hour span, the final number being 14 yes’s and only 3 no’s.
Another inconvenience when it comes to the dining hall is its hours of operation. Between classes, practice, training, and studying, students should be able to eat around their schedule, not schedule things around the dining hours. Lunch being open from 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. is not a big enough window for students with back to back classes during those times, just like dinner being open from 4:30-8:00 p.m. is definitely not a big enough window for student-athletes whose practices and games don’t finish until 7:30 p.m. or even 8:00 p.m. at night.
In a conversation I had with one of the dining hall workers, she spoke about how the dining service before Sodexo was much better, that almost all the food stations were open and that the students were actually satisfied with their meals. I believe that a change should be made. The dining hall should extend its lunch and dinner hours in order to allow for students to have time to eat around their schedules as well as provide more nutritional options in order to improve the overall health of all students and student-athletes.
Featured Image: USJ Dining