Montage The
St. Louis Community College–Meramec
MAY 6, 2010 Vol. 45 Issue 15
Scanning our budget 2 The price of keeping Meramec’s food services Amy Winstead - Staff Writer -
SGC election
Know the new officers of the Student Governance Council
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RATIO N BY: At the March board of trustees meeting, CARLO S RES TREPO students objected to St. Louis Community College renewing its contract with Treat America for the delivery of dining, catering and snack food vending services. As a result, the board has reconsidered its decision to renew the contract for two years and now plans to renew the contract for just one year and appraise alternatives. “My goal is to get the board to only renew the contract for one year in order for students to review the service and submit their problems to the board,” said Vincent Hayden, one of the students to speak at the meeting. Within the contract is an $8,000 monthly subsidy to offset the losses of Treat America to bring food services to each campus, a total of $96,000 annually. Student Gyla Meyers said the contract should be revised in light of budget considerations. 022 “Why are we going forth with 115 859 the subsidy of $8,000 per month, 785 for not only one year, but two 213 467 years, which totals $192,000 for the optional two years that remain when we can look at alternative solutions,” Meyers asked in response to a statement made my STLCC Chancellor Zelema Harris, Ed.D., who said that during an economic downturn the board has worked to avoid cost increase and reduce expenditures to improve college revenues. Students and faculty interested in being involved in the decision to renew the contract with Treat America, America were upset by the board’s proposal for renewal and then the next without the input of the community. year when our 10-year contract with “We were told that there will be a committee that Coke expires we can look at which is the best combo of food will make a decision and we were informed by SGC that the and vending and offset a subsidy by giving a company pouring board decided to renew the contract for another two years,” rights,” Hart said. said Vidyullata Waghulde, Ph.D., a chemistry professor and coThe subsidy is not the only issue and some think that the adviser for the international club. quality of the food is poor. Some students and faculty agree that Objections to the contract include the cost of lunch in for the Meramec campus, healthier and cheaper choices are off the cafeteria. campus. “When a meal in the cafeteria costs almost $10 when the “It’s an easy choice to go somewhere else,” Hayden said. school is subsidizing them at a rate of $8,000 a month, something “The quality of the food is often not that great either and none is wrong,” Hayden said. too healthy.” Christy Hart, the liaison between the school and Treat Meyers suggested that a different type of company such America, said it is not possible to provide campus dining as Subway or another franchise could be contracted instead of services without a subsidy. Treat America. Hart responded that such an idea is not feasible. “We have to subsidize Treat America if we want to the “You cannot compare walk-up to fast food. There is quality, quantity and variety unless there is a drastic reduction not enough business to support a franchise fast food service to only grill service and grab-and-go,” Hart said. either... It is difficult to meet the needs of a community that According to Hart, there are only a few major companies requires stables for the students, healthy choices, and catering such as Treat America, Sodexho and Aramark for school food services that range from box lunches to fundraising banquets,” services, and with the limited business on a two-year campus, Hart said. the subsidy is necessary to attract a contract for dinning and While the contract requires that clubs must use Treat catering services. America’s catering services, some student clubs would prefer “It is very different from a four-year campus where you to order from off campus. have students who live on campus and the demand for food “The international club should be able to get food from services is higher,” Hart said. outside sources because with Treat America the quality of ethnic One possibility for eliminating the subsidy is to give Treat America subsidy beverage vending rights to a dinning and catering company. “The plan is to renew the contract for one year with Treat Continued on page 3
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Montage Reader Poll Would you sign the petition to reinstate Dr. Petersen as VP of student affairs?
C B
A
A. Yes I would sign the petition B. No, I don’t think he should be reinstated C. A petition is not the right course of action to reinstate Dr. Petersen
Summer Poll Question Would you recommend Meramec to another student? To vote, visit: www.meramecmontage.com