By: Jonathan Walker II

Would you rather have a variety of foods, or eat the same old boring meals in rotation? College cafeterias are an integral piece of a campus. However, on Wesleyan’s campus, the quality of meals has gone down. Students ask, “Why can’t we have good food or a variety of foods that are fresh and appealing?”  

The food provider at Wesleyan is Aladdin, a nationwide company. According to their website, Aladdin’s mission statement is “Fueling Students, Community, and Culture,” Are they doing that at Wesleyan? Students’ chief complaints are about menu options and food quality.

There are two main serving lines that serve several hundred students every day.  A cafeteria worker stated, “We really try to make breakfast as good as possible to keep our students and student athletes healthy and filled with energy. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” She mentioned most students want the omelet bar back.

Lunch is the biggest social gathering. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. long lines form and students are condensed into one place to eat and talk. One student, Ike Dove, said the best time for lunch is, “Anywhere from 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. because the line gets so long by noon. People are rushing here because the wait time can get so long.”

Dinner is another problem area.  Sports teams with late practices say that there are less portions when the cafeteria is closing. “After practice I would like a nice, healthy meal,” said Otis Ashton III, a student-athlete.  “Nobody wants to eat fried foods all the time and sometimes that is what they have left, or the food isn’t appealing.

“Cats’ Claw (Wesleyan’s on-campus restaurant) is an option.” Ashton added, “Some students are forced to eat on campus because they don’t have cars or extra money to get more appealing food.”  

Another student chimed in that since they are forced to get a food plan, “Spending money on food is so unnecessary, the cafeteria should be better than what it is.”

Aladdin should think about menu changes instead of updating the looks and images of the dining hall. They should listen to the students: offer more variety, serve less fried food and bring back the omelet bar.