Campus eateries strive to provide the UCLA community with an
array of culinary delights. But the hefty price tag on food is
enough to give a person indigestion. After spending two years
eating dorm food, I left on-campus housing with the hope of putting
my culinary expertise to use in my new kitchen. To my dismay, my
busy schedule of jumping from class, to work, to the Daily Bruin
and back, has left me unable to utilize my kitchen to its full
potential. Many other off-campus students experience similar
problems and end up using the microwave for frozen burritos or Hot
Pockets. Thus, it has become necessary to find a convenient
alternative to this dilemma by eating at on-campus establishments
when in a pinch.
On-campus residents face a similar dilemma of trying to fit in
meals while juggling busy schedules. Students must bag a lunch
early in the morning, get a meal coupon, or walk back to the dining
hall to eat. While the Sack Lunch Program tries to make life
convenient, the selection of items for lunch leaves much to be
desired. A sandwich a day makes for boring eating. Alternatively,
students can grab a meal coupon from the front desk ““ and
still pay for part of their meal out of their pockets as meal
coupons are valued at less then $2 each.
If students are lucky enough to have the time to trek back to
the dining hall for lunch, they can enjoy a broader selection of
food choices. Students may utilize their meal plan swipes, which
UCLA Dining values to be worth $7.
But as a student constantly trapped in North Campus, it becomes
difficult to walk all the way back to the dorms. And, once you do
get there, the dining halls are usually overcrowded with people.
Latecomers may find the selection of food items depleted by those
that managed to get there first. Students thus look to on-campus
eateries as a convenient way to fulfill their hunger.
On-campus eateries become a haven for hungry students. Yet, the
price for on-campus eateries is staggering. Contracted restaurant
chains such as Panda Express and Rubio’s Baja Grill offer
pricey selections of fast-food. Associated Students of
UCLA-initiated restaurants provide a slightly less expensive
alternative. The least expensive campus restaurant, Taco Bell,
currently faces the threat of closure.
And aside from the price, the quality often leaves much to be
desired. Stale, greasy, uncooked or overcooked food often make
eating on-campus unpleasant. Most restaurants offer only a limited
selection of healthy foods. Additionally, long lines make it
difficult to simply “grab and go,” defeating the whole
concept of fast food.
For those less than willing to pay the price for a meal or wait
in line for a half an hour, vending machines scattered throughout
campus provide access to snacks. Located near microwaves, UCLA
practically encourages the consumption of unhealthy vending machine
products for financially strapped students and those constantly on
the go.
UCLA should implement an on-campus meal program for students in
the form of dining dollars and meal card swipes. Other UC campuses
have dorms with dining facilities scattered around campus. No
matter where they are on campus, students can use their meal plan
or dining dollars to eat. Unfortunately, UCLA’s dining
facilities are located in one spot ““ the residential hill.
Establishing a program where students could swipe their cards at
ASUCLA dining facilities would ease the burden placed on students
living on campus and facing hectic schedules. Additionally, a meal
plan of similar form for off-campus students could provide
assistance to a stressful life.
Yousef Tajsar, a student representative on the ASUCLA board of
directors, said he believes the reason for the lack of an on-campus
meal plan lies in the separation of ASUCLA and the On-Campus
Housing Council. According to Tajsar, because each entity acts
separately, coordination between the two becomes difficult.
Nonetheless, ASUCLA should take into consideration the pressures
students face and try to ease those stresses by promoting a healthy
lifestyle.
Paganini is a third-year geography and political science
student. E-mail her at cpaganini@media.ucla.edu. Send general
comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.