Hungry for change
USG candidates hope to lower campus food costs

By KRISTEN VANDERPOOL
and TRACY WILSON
Collegian Staff Writers

In the hopes of attracting voters on March 31, four of the five Undergraduate Student Government presidential and vice-presidential candidates have on-campus eating issues included in their platforms this year.

If elected, Dougie Bennett (junior-history and labor and industry) and Ryan Knauss (junior-psychology) plan to work with the administration to lower campus food costs.

Penn State students get less for their meal-plan dollars than students at Ohio State University and the University of Michigan, Bennett said.

"I believe students are getting ripped off," he said.

Refunding students' unused meal points at the end of Spring Semester is an issue on the platform of Desha Girod (junior-political science) and Garrett Fitzgerald (senior-environmental energy engineering).

"This is the students' money," Girod said. "They are entitled to keep it."

She said they plan on accomplishing this goal by working with the Office of Housing and Food Services.

Girod said they also will write and defend a proposal before the administration.

Vivek Narayanan (senior-industrial engineering) and Christopher Blackwell (senior-chemical engineering) did not make on-campus eating issues a part of their platform.

"We don't think (addressing these issues) is feasible right now," Narayanan said.

Beth Silvia (junior-human development and family studies) and James Hornick (junior-marketing) plan to work to lower HUB food prices, extend meal hours and offer students a greater selection of meal deals if elected.

"Being a residence hall student who is very busy, it is expensive (to eat at the HUB) if you can't get back to the commons," Silvia said. "We feel this is a good time to deal with it, while everything is changing at the HUB."

Hornick's past experience working with Housing and Food Services to bring back the 79-cent drink special at the HUB will help them accomplish their goals, Silvia said.

Art Spicciati (junior-political science) and Rob McClure (senior-architecture) plan to lobby Housing and Food Services to increase dining options, availability and affordability in the dining commons as well as the HUB.

"(The HUB is) not intentionally out to get the students' (money), but we have noticed that prices aren't as competitive as they could be," Spicciati said.

Assistant Director of HUB Food Services David Gingher said only one candidate has contacted him about platform goals, and Associate Director of Food Services Lisa Wandel said no candidates have contacted her.

From the university's standpoint, HUB prices are set according to food cost, or by contract in the case of the national chains, Gingher said.

Hours are set by demand, and right now, due to construction, the demand for more hours is not there, he said.

"We're not going to say no. We're always looking for ways to keep prices down," Gingher said.

In the commons, Wandel said students already have input simply by choosing foods. "Students dictate our menu. We would be crazy not to listen to them."

Wandel said there is no need to refund meal points to students. "The time and labor it takes to refund minimal points -- it doesn't seem practical," Wandel said. She added students can change their meal plan if it is too big and purchase items from on-campus mini-stores if they need to use up points.


SOURCE: Undergraduate Student Government candidates
GRAPHIC: Stacy Olenoski