SGB members sink teeth into dining hall issues

Students have complained about the food services at Pitt, and the Student Government Board is… Students have complained about the food services at Pitt, and the Student Government Board is now taking action by creating a student-led food committee.

As the board members heard complaints from their committee chairs, they began asking friends and fellow students for their opinions about the Sodexho food services offered in Pitt’s on-campus eateries.

And, for the most part, many students were not fully satisfied with the service.

As reported in the Thursday evening board meeting, one of the biggest problems this year is the disappearance of salad bars from Eddie’s and Schenley Cafe. This was just one of the issues that five board members addressed Wednesday with representatives from Sodexho.

According to board member Liz Blasi, Sodexho representatives told the group that they removed the salad bars because salads made up a small percent of sales and took up a lot of space. In Schenley, salads accounted for 2 percent of sales.

The Marketplace offers the only remaining salad bar, and the board members explained that many salad-seeking students want to be able to take it with them to eat elsewhere. In the all-you-can-eat Marketplace, students cannot take food out of the dining area.

A lack of healthy food options in Eddie’s provided another topic for discussion. According to Blasi, the board discussed the presence of pretzels, burritos and fried chicken, and the absence of healthier options. The representatives took note of these concerns, she added.

Blasi and fellow board member Joe Salvatore said in later interviews that the meeting went well and that the food services representatives were open to hearing their concerns and suggestions.

Salvatore added that the disparity in pricing was also discussed. Students who buy smaller weekly meal plans end up paying more per block than those who buy the larger meal plans, Salvatore said. A student who has an eight-block meal plan pays about $7.30 per block, while each block is really only worth $5.25. Blocks under the biggest meal plan are priced much closer to the value of each individual block.

By subtracting the number of dining dollars each plan has from the cost of each plan, and then dividing by the total number of blocks allotted during the semester, students can calculate the actual value of each block.

When the board members asked about this, though, they were told that it is part of a confidential contract between Sodexho and Pitt.

Another issue that the board discussed with Sodexho was the catering policy for student groups. According to contractual obligations, student groups hosting events in on-campus buildings and wanting non-cultural food to be served must go through Sodexho’s service.

Sodexho told the group of several upcoming changes planned for the next couple weeks, but since Sodexho has not finalized the details, Blasi did not want to disclose the specifics of the plans. She did say, though, that there were “a lot of good things” coming up.

One of the changes that she could discuss, though, is the addition of Burger King to the Petersen Events Center dining area. The fast food chain is expected to open on Oct. 18. Another change at the Pete this year is the acceptance of meal plan blocks. Students no longer need to rely on only their meal plan dining dollars at any of the eateries.

To continue the dialogue with Sodexho, Blasi is working to create a food committee. The committee members would meet with Sodexho representatives about every month to discuss their opinions about current service. She added that she wants vegans, vegetarians and students who observe kosher laws to be represented in the 15- to 20-member committee.

Board members Todd Brandon Morris, Joe Pasqualichio and Lauren Evette Williams also attended the meeting.