2008 Woodie Awards
Letter to the editor
Issue date: 4/6/06 Section: Editorial
- Page 1 of 1
Dear editor:
Thursday, March 30, a boycott was held protesting Aramark and its stranglehold on the pocketbooks and well-being of UTC students.
For those students who chose to participate in the boycott, we applaud your efforts. The first blow has been dealt. We ask for your continued support in the struggle with this campus food cartel.
For the students who did not participate, and for Aramark itself, we have collected a list of complaints which are common among those of us who did boycott Aramark.
Perhaps those of you that have not joined our cause soon will, or if by the grace of God only, Aramark will see that the scholars of this campus do hold power and make an effort to change food services for the better.
The first complaint, and the most important complaint, is that Aramark holds UTC residents captive, forcing each student that lives on campus to buy a meal plan which is exorbitantly priced and refuses to refund or carry over any funds left over from previous semesters.
This meal plan, the smallest of which is $500, is to be used to pay for food that is sub-par at best, inedible at worst. This monopoly on campus dining encourages poor quality, poor service and an unhealthy diet.
The second complaint is directly related to the first. The extortionate prices of the food offered by Aramark are insulting. But again, Aramark is not concerned with setting reasonable prices. So voracious is their appetite for money, and so pandering is UTC's administration, that it would not be surprising for the price of a chicken sandwich to be raised to one gold bar and a bag of Spanish golden doubloons.
In a recent paper, there was an article begging the question of why UTC could not retain students.
The answer may lie in the state of on campus living. Forcing students to live in a theme park like environment without the benefit of rides could very well drive them to other schools with better amenities. UTC should rethink its contract with Aramark before it can no longer find anyone to live within its boundaries.
Sincerely,
Concerned boycotters
Thursday, March 30, a boycott was held protesting Aramark and its stranglehold on the pocketbooks and well-being of UTC students.
For those students who chose to participate in the boycott, we applaud your efforts. The first blow has been dealt. We ask for your continued support in the struggle with this campus food cartel.
For the students who did not participate, and for Aramark itself, we have collected a list of complaints which are common among those of us who did boycott Aramark.
Perhaps those of you that have not joined our cause soon will, or if by the grace of God only, Aramark will see that the scholars of this campus do hold power and make an effort to change food services for the better.
The first complaint, and the most important complaint, is that Aramark holds UTC residents captive, forcing each student that lives on campus to buy a meal plan which is exorbitantly priced and refuses to refund or carry over any funds left over from previous semesters.
This meal plan, the smallest of which is $500, is to be used to pay for food that is sub-par at best, inedible at worst. This monopoly on campus dining encourages poor quality, poor service and an unhealthy diet.
The second complaint is directly related to the first. The extortionate prices of the food offered by Aramark are insulting. But again, Aramark is not concerned with setting reasonable prices. So voracious is their appetite for money, and so pandering is UTC's administration, that it would not be surprising for the price of a chicken sandwich to be raised to one gold bar and a bag of Spanish golden doubloons.
In a recent paper, there was an article begging the question of why UTC could not retain students.
The answer may lie in the state of on campus living. Forcing students to live in a theme park like environment without the benefit of rides could very well drive them to other schools with better amenities. UTC should rethink its contract with Aramark before it can no longer find anyone to live within its boundaries.
Sincerely,
Concerned boycotters
