The Green Glance | Independent dining promises better food at Vassar

Nathan Zucker Columnist

The Kick Coke Campaign, although an extreme example due to Coca-Cola’s particularly horrendous treatment of its workers, shows the negative feelings many Vassar students have about the presence of multinational corporations within the College. Unfortunately, every bite of food taken on campus contributes to the profits of another international corporation, Aramark. The company, which has a long history of poor service and ethical violations, is failing to bring healthy, high-quality food to Vassar.

Despite its terrible record, Aramark has managed the campus dining services since 1989 and is attempting to renew its contract with the College this year. Instead of simply rehiring Aramark or a similar contractor, Vassar’s administration should consider in-house management, a system in which the College itself takes responsibility for the operation of the dining facilites. An independent system, which was used successfully by the College until 1989, would bring better food to campus and reduce the influence of major corporations on the lives of students.

Because of the company’s record, Vassar’s support of Aramark sends a poor message about the College’s commitment to social justice and student welfare. Numerous allegations of corporate malfeasance have surfaced regarding Aramark’s management of dining services in other institutions. In Ohio, the company allegedly overcharged taxpayers by over $2 million for serving meals in state prisons, resulting in the loss of its contract. At Southbridge Conference Center in Boston, Aramark withheld over $29,000 in gratuities from the waitstaff before finally agreeing to pay its employees in full.

In addition, numerous colleges across the nation have complained about the poor quality of Aramark’s food. Kenyon College, which had used Aramark since 1981, terminated its contract with the company in 2005, citing unsanitary conditions, unsatisfactory service and unimaginative menus. In addition, the University of Virginia, the University of Alberta and the California State University system have all experienced significant problems with Aramark’s management of their dining services.

The solution to this dilemma is not to hire another corporation, but rather to return to an independent dining program like the one Vassar employed until 1989. Middlebury College, where I spent my freshman year, is without a doubt the prime example of the viability of in-house dining systems. There, students may eat an unlimited amount of delicious entrées ranging from roast beef to grilled salmon, and the dining halls also offer extensive salad bars, freshly-made soups and hearty breads. Beyond serving a varied, delectable menu, Middlebury also makes a significant commitment to local farmers—at least 25 percent of the food is locally sourced. Williams and Bennington Colleges have also embraced independent dining, and they strive to operate responsibility within their communities. In contrast, Vassar’s menu features fewer local items and lines the pockets of Aramark, a transnational corporation with annual revenues exceeding $11 billion.

Unfortunately, Vassar’s administration has remained egregiously unaware of these important issues. Both Director of Purchasing Rosaleen Cardillo and Director of Budgeting David English refused to comment on Aramark’s numerous breaches of corporate ethics, saying only that the company has done nothing wrong here. Additionally, Cardillo and English seemed to have spent little time considering a switch to independent dining.

“If we went in-house, some departments would have to be restructured. Right now, we don’t have that expertise. We need more time to investigate,” said Cardillo.

Given that Aramark has been at Vassar for 20 years, such a response is inadequate. There has been plenty of time for investigation; the administration should already be prepared to consider in-house management of dining services. However, it is clear that financial considerations override the College’s desire to provide a better dining plan for students. English mentioned that an independent system would be more expensive; this seemed to preclude it from consideration. Given that a Vassar education costs over $46,000 per year, the College should do what is best, not what is cheapest.

Stated simply, in-house management of the dining services would revolutionize the experience of eating on campus. Middlebury Director of Dining Matthew Biette offered the best explanation of the benefits of such a system. “When you have a contractor, they’re working for two masters. Ultimately, the master with the paycheck wins. We’re independent. Anything we do is for the students,” he said.