Academic

Cookie Dough Pucks, Melon Rinds, And The Missing Tray

By Dan Filler

We learn today, from the Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription required), that university food service operations are feeling financial pressure from the rising cost of food.  How to make ends meet?  A number of ideas surfaced in the article - everything from cutting half an ounce of cheese from a slice of pizza to leaving the skin on chunks of honeydew melon.  Some schools are even baking from scratch rather than using "expensive pucks of pre-made cookie dough."  (And they wonder why college students play with their food?)

The smartest strategy of all, though, is simply making it tougher for students to carry the food to their tables.  Schools like Western Washington and Middlebury College are banishing the cafeteria tray.  Sure, a tray may be a convenient way to tote your Italian Noodle Casserole, salad, cookie, and Mr. Pibb, but do students really need all four?  Not if food service accountants have anything to say about these matters. 

To quote Woody Allen:

"Boy, the food in this place is really terrible.'"   "Yes, and such small portions."

Full post as published by The Faculty Lounge on May 06, 2008 (boomark / email).