Reasonable prices should be priority

As the University begins the process of renegotiating for a dining services provider, each change of events affects what to expect from a new contract. Now that Red & Black and Wes Wings owners Edward Thorndike ’89 and Karen Kaffen-Polascik ’89 have dropped their bid to take the reigns from Aramark, the University is left only with major corporations as potential bidders.

Dining Services has repeatedly promised that the upcoming changes on campus, from a potential new dining services operator to the Usdan University Center, will completely alter the way dining at Wesleyan works. What is important to remember, though, are the inherent issues in campus dining that will probably never be solved. When it comes down to it, a sandwich at Neon Deli will probably always cost less than on campus.

The University has made a laudable effort to work with the dining workers union to allow for fair wages and hours for all dining employees. According to Director of Auxiliary Operations and Campus Services Manny Cunard, such union concerns cause a 10 to 12 percent markup on food items, which is why your Odwalla might be pricier than you would expect. As long as the union remains strong, that cost is not going away, but the extra 10 to 12 percent does not tell the whole story, as many items are overpriced at outrageous proportions.

We have plenty of reason to expect more out of our campus dining, particularly given the promises made to us by Dining Services and the WSA. And this period of renegotiation is a perfect time to examine prices and investigate what can be done to lower them. More likely than not, a major corporation – be it Aramark or someone functionally similar – will be providing our food. Given this reality, the University should work even harder to make sure that students are presented the most fairly priced and ethically compatible program possible. If that happens, the extra cost associated with fair wages for dining workers, environmentally friendly dining options, and more functional dining facilities will be worth it.