Our beef with Davenport

If there is one thing that is consistent at the University of La Verne it’s the complaints about Davenport Dining Hall: about the food, the service and the dining experience as a whole.

Students complain every year, every month, almost every day for that matter. And they shouldn’t have to.

ULV students were filled with a new hope when Davenport reopened for the school year in fall 2002 under the new management of Sodexho. Changes were made not only in appearance, but in services and food as well.

Students were impressed with the new services provided, in comparison to the previous contract with Aramark, and were looking forward to what was next to come from Sodexho.

But that was where the changes stopped. And now, almost two school years later, that hope has diminished.

What excited the students about Sodexho in the beginning was that they were finally getting different options with the food. Not only was there the typical cafeteria-style hot food, but pizza and a grill as well as the usual salad and sandwich bar.

And pizza, hamburgers, salad and sandwich bar it has remained ever since. No variety, and no attempts to mix things up and offer fresh choices. When these options never change, the food becomes banal. The point of options is variety. Variety is not found when the same options are offered day after day.

Effective this year, Davenport has cut down on the food being served during the weekend without a cost reduction. Decreasing the options even further, only the grill, salad bar and sandwich bar are open Friday and Saturday nights.

Davenport claims they offer food that is nutritious, fresh and delicious.

A truly nutritious meal cannot be prepared by students in Davenport. Options like pizza and the grill are hardly nutritious day after day.

We all know that the food often sits around sometimes from breakfast until dinner. Some food is even served cold during some meals.

This is not freshness.

Delicious is a whole different issue.

Change was good. If Sodexho wants to keep its customers happy, we suggest some more changes. More variety, more options and maybe even some kinder service to make the overall dining experience a better one.

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Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.

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