By Valerie Gauman Lucas
The Student Government Association passed a resolution Tuesday night that addressed multiple issues with Lackmann Culinary Services, the food service provider for the University.
The resolution passed 12-7, with 6 abstaining.
The resolution addresses multiple issues with Lackmann Culinary Services, one of them being the policy which allows only Lackmann (with few exceptions) to provide the food for clubs despite the inauthenticity of cultural foods, or possible lower price quotes from other establishments.
This is just the latest in a campus-wide outcry against Lackmann, which is already evident with the creation of Students Against Lackmann Associated Dining (S.A.L.A.D.)
Multi-cultural clubs are dissatisfied with the authenticity of cultural food provided by Lackmann.
Julia Hisayi, speaking on behalf of the African Caribbean Society (ACS), said that there should be the “ability for multi-cultural clubs to go outside of Lackmann. I mean rice is rice. However, for the meats and main dishes we need to have something authentic, especially in the case of guests who are not students.”
Recently, a taste testing with students was held by the Eisa Shukran, the director of dining services, to determine the authenticity of various cultural foods that Lackmann provides. Hisayi described the food served as “mediocre at best” and said that there were major rules of the recipes that were not followed.
All clubs are required to pay for food for events out of their personal budgets. Recently, students who needed food for a Schools for Schools (Uganda) benefit received a food quote from an establishment outside of Lackmann for $400. Lackmann looked at the same quote and list of food and said that they could offer the same menu for $1,000. The students were not allowed to use the other quote because Lackmann was able to provide the same food, even if it was at a significantly higher price.
“We had a parent daughter brunch, we were required to get our food from Lackmann, and then another group came and ate our food because Lackmann set it out way too early,” said Libby Moore, a senior marketing major and member of Delta Gamma sorority, who spoke about another Lackmann-related debacle. “It was embarrassing for our parents to see and frustrating because that was our money.”