By Angel Yang & Mimi Yao
School cafeteria food has always been a debate among students, with the overall attitude of students toward cafeteria food being slightly negative. As many people struggle to choose a meal, they often resort to “the only consistent option” — the burrito bowl. But the ever-growing burrito line is just one manifestation of students’ grievances.
This semester, new changes have been made to the school cafeteria. You may have noticed the introduction of the new food company in charge of the food, Sodexo, instead of last years’ Chartwells. In addition, the variety of meals has also increased, and the menu has changed. Survey responses from our high school students reveal their opinions on these differences. While many responses highlighted students’ appreciation of the cafeteria food and staff, others reflected their disillusionment with the price and inconsistent quality of the school food.
Post-COVID, the prices of the cafeteria food have increased significantly. However, even before the pandemic many students complained about both the excessive cost and amount of food. This is one significant factor in affecting food waste in the school as many students hold the mentality that asking for larger amounts of food helps justify the high prices. Consequently, they’re unable to finish large servings and leave without finishing their meals. This is also an attitude that the cafeteria staff as well as student groups are trying to correct by creating informational posters and stickers for less food waste in the cafeteria. Thankfully, this semester, most item prices stayed the same. Yet food waste is still an issue that needs to be worked on.
The school has also been aware of students with dietary restrictions due to different cultural backgrounds or personal choices — the cafeteria has been providing them with special catering such as vegetarian and pasta options. Plus, even if you don’t like one of the options, you can pick from 4 different food selections with several dishes each. There’s the Chinese, Italian, Western, and Mexican cuisine, as well as the Deli Marché Cafe with snacks and fruit to enjoy. So, no matter what type of cuisine you’re craving that day, you’ll have plenty of choices to pick from. (Seniors can also order takeout on Fridays, so that’s an added bonus!)
That’s all for what’s new in the cafeteria this semester! Going forward, we encourage more students to share their ideas and attitudes toward the food offered at the school, so that changes can be made if necessary.