USU Eastern Dining Service’s changes have fallen short

This archived article was written by: Kelshall Alexander JR.

Change is an important part of our life and it is something that can hard be to adjust to at times.
While changes can either be good or bad, when it comes to our dining services, I think it is obvious that if any changes take place, it would be better for the good and in favor of the public or student body – especially those who live on campus and rely on the dining services for all meals.
USU Eastern recently made some changes at the beginning of this semester and initially they weren’t fully accepted. Now, everyone has grown accustomed to the new options and like the meals. The consensus I got from everyone is they liked the idea of having multiple options to choose from because everyone has different tastes. One day, we had three options to choose from for lunch and the next day only one or two. What happened to keeping the three options? Clearly, most people were in favor of it and if you really want to lessen the options, do a survey and ask the student body what they prefer and want.
In addition to changes in options, the quality of food and the portion size started to change before our eyes. As a student that relies heavily on our dining services, it is annoying to not get consistency when it comes to food. We know how important food is to us, and with these changes, people are eating less and less. This includes myself,
With the changes in the quality of food, my appetite is considerably small and sometimes I can barely finish one burger. That is not because the burger is big. For example, I get good-tasting burgers at times and feel like I can eat two more. Other times, I get my burger and do not feel like finishing it.
Also, the inconsistency in how much they serve is annoying because one week you can get a full smoothie with three-chicken strips for one swipe. The next week, you are served three-quarters of a smoothie and two-chicken strips. It might seem inconsequential because it’s just “one” chicken strip or just a little bit of the smoothie missing. But if it is nothing, then it should not be a problem for me to get my three-chicken strips and a full smoothie.
There is no notice given that changes are being made, no matter how minuscule. This goes to show that the students are not the main focus and that has nothing to do with the workers, but the ones in charge of them. I have also heard similar complaints from other students, which inspired me to write this article, so this is not only coming from my point of view, but many others as well.
Although the lunch and dinner are not popular amongst the students, the breakfast is, even though they made changes this semester. The differences between the changes they made with the breakfast and the lunch is that the breakfast changes benefited the students. With all of the Dining P3 lunch, the breakfast remained the same. Everyone I know, loves it, including me. If there is one thing about breakfast that I appreciate, it is the consistent quality and I think that has a lot to do with one of the workers, Randy, along with the other morning workers. I am not saying that evening staff is not good because some of them are, but the consistency the breakfast offers is key.
Just because I named one worker, that does not mean that others are bad. I have good interaction on a daily basis with some, but the overall issue needs to be dealt with from the top. I know catering services is not the easiest job but all we ask for is consistency, quality and notification if changes are being made. As mentioned before, change isn’t always necessary! But, in some cases they are. So if you, as a manager of a dining service, believe that it is necessary, always ensure that it benefits those you are serving.