By Gregory Lee, Contributor
Whether it be from the crowded lines at the MUSC Tim Hortons or to the pasta place inside Centro, hungry students are everywhere, looking for ways to satisfy their hunger on campus.
McMaster Hospitality Services, which operates most eateries on campus, state that they aim to provide high quality food service, variety and value. Eating on campus a few times will show that in reality, these expectations are not always met.
Food at universities is notorious for being unhealthy. It is usually stereotyped as deep fried, greasy, frozen and/or unhealthy, which are all true statements. A quick look at the menu at many of the campus eateries shows that they’re mainly burgers, wraps and fries that are almost always frozen and low-quality in terms of taste — mediocre at best.
Normally I wouldn’t have a problem with frozen deep-fried food but the fact that campus food is also notoriously expensive as well doesn’t help. For example, a slice of pepperoni pizza at the MUSC Pizza Pizza costs significantly more than a slice at any other Pizza Pizza location. A Mac Burger at Centro costs around $8.95 for the burger itself, plus an extra $2.99 for a combo, which includes a drink and fries. An order of onion rings which normally contains 5-7 rings will set you back around $4.
What really puts the prices of on-campus food into perspective is when it's compared to other locations off campus which offer better value for your money compared to the on-campus eateries. It’s worse for people who live on residence as the meal plans offered by Mac Hospitality are mandatory if you want to live on residence with few exceptions.
Although the meals plans allow students to save tax when buying food on campus, they still cost students at least $3000 upfront for even the lighter meal plans.
It gets worse when Mac Hospitality takes away exactly half of the non-refundable portion of your meal plan in the beginning of the year for overhead costs, giving you a 50 per cent discount on all food. This discount is only for first year and disappears after the school year ends. The truth is, many students will not finish the non-refundable portion of their meal plan before first year ends. They will either have to go on spending sprees to finish their plans or cut their losses and use the money next school year, even if it technically means losing half of your money.
Health wise, the food on campus doesn’t fare well either. University eating is characterized by fears over the “freshman 15” and uncontrollable weight gain. While the freshman 15 is little more than just a myth, the health concerns of campus food are not.
A quick look at the nutrition facts of campus food will be enough to give any health-conscious individual a heart attack. Calories, unhealthy fats, sodium, carbohydrates and bad cholesterol are high for most, if not all dishes. In addition, the foods on campus are often low in key nutrients such as fibre, protein and vitamins. The campus eateries do have their healthier options such as salad bars or select food from Bridges, but healthy options are almost always lacking on the menus around campus.
Let’s not forget the fact that food options for vegetarians and vegans are limited on campus. While we do have Bridges serving vegetarian and vegan options, other eateries on campus are often lacking in vegetarian and vegan options. Halal and kosher options are also limited and just recently, McMaster Hospitality stopped offering halal beef burgers at their eateries.
The food at Mac is definitely not the worst, but it can be greatly improved upon both health-wise and cost-wise. The introduction of the new $5-dollar daily meals is a step in the right direction for food accessibility at Mac and the menu at the campus eateries is always changing. Hopefully, Mac continues to make improvements to the food on campus so that one day, it can be accessible for all.
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Food security is a major issue that an unfortunately large number of students at McMaster University face. McMaster offers students over twenty different on-campus locations to get food. These locations range in their selection but are united by their general lack of affordability.
The Union Market, located on the main floor of the McMaster University Students Centre, differs from the rest in that they are a relatively affordable institution. They advertise having the best prices on campus, and in fact, they do. A cup of coffee can be as low as $1.40 and a “bigger, better” bagel can cost students under a toonie. Sales are known to occur throughout the week as well that provide students many affordable mealtime options.
Union Market also offers students a range of organic, gluten-free and fair trade products that increase its available consumer demographic. Open seven days a week with extended exam hours, they truly seem to be a place that is catered around student needs.
It is no wonder then that many students flock to Union Market on a daily basis. What is disheartening, however, is that while their prices are affordable, their stock is rarely present.
[spacer height="20px"]For the past few weeks, Union Market has been empty halfway throughout the week. By Thursday, almost all of the stock, most notably its sandwiches and bagels, are off the shelf.
When a cashier at Union Market was asked about the lack of products, she responded by saying that there is a limited number of items that are shelved each morning and that once these items are sold, oftentimes before noon, they are not replenished.
It is true that sales have increased at Union Market since their renovation this year. This may simply be good business for Union Market but for students, especially those on a tight budget, this is a serious issue. By not catering to the demand of the student body, the utility of Union Market becomes limited.
Some would argue that it is not Union Market’s responsibility to be the only affordable and accessible spot on campus. I would agree. But until other establishments can offer affordable prices, Union Market is all students on-campus really have.
If Union Market, and by extension the McMaster Students Union, was sincere in their commitment to fulfilling students’ needs, they would place priority on keeping Union Market well-stocked at the risk of any financial loss. Considering the number of students witnessed entering Union Market and leaving emptyhanded due to a lack of stock, the fear of lost profits is likely unfounded.
The other solution would be to increase affordable options for food on campus. While the recent implementation of Tax-free Tuesdays is a step forward in the right direction, the difference is marginal especially considering the discount applies only one day of the week. Campus-wide, prices have only increased and so it seems unlikely that students will be able to find affordable food elsewhere.
Until student demands are met, it would be wrong of Union Market to advertise themselves as the best spot on campus for food. If you frequent Union Market and are able to snag a bagel or sandwich, consider yourself lucky. The majority of the student body is left disappointed and hungry.
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By: Donna Nadeem
The rising prices of campus food make it increasingly difficult for many students to find a financially sustainable source of nourishment. In an effort to improve food affordability on campus, Ikram Farah, McMaster Student Union president, worked to introduce the pilot project of an initiative called “Tax-free Tuesdays” earlier this month.
Farah is largely focused on increasing food accessibility. Two of her year-plan objectives that centre around this are Farah’s “Tax-Free Tuesdays” plan, which has involved working with McMaster Hospitality Services and working with Bridges Café to offer healthier options at other restaurants on campus.
November will be the pilot month for Farah’s new “Tax-Free Tuesdays” initiative. The project was one of her platform objectives during her presidential campaign and was launched to address the high food costs on campus. Food at La Piazza will be tax-free on each Tuesday of November. Students can access this tax discount by using cash, credit or debit.
On each Tuesday in November, Hospitality Services will lower the sticker price of food items by 13 per cent, equivalent to HST, and the discount will apply to food sold from any of the vendors inside the La Piazza in the McMaster University Student Centre.
“The spirit behind Tax-Free Tuesdays is to address food prices on campus through collaboration with the university,” said Farah.
McMaster University prides itself on prioritizing the needs of students and providing programs and resources that promote physical and mental health.
Nevertheless, the rising prices of campus food call into question this stated goal. Students are finding it increasingly difficult to find a financially sustainable source of food, especially with the climbing prices of healthier options.
East Meets West Bistro and Bridges have never been considered the cheapest place for on-campus dining, but such increases in food prices are making meal plans less attractive from a food security standpoint. Moreover, East Meets West Bistro and Bridges are not included in the “Tax-Free Tuesdays” initiative.
To improve food security, the “food pantry,” along with the food collective centre in Bridges and the anonymous “lockers of love” program, provide an ongoing resource to students who need food the most. The Nolunchmoney initiative team also uses their social media to constantly keep students updated on free food events.
In addition, the MSU operates three specific locations that sell food: TwelveEighty, The Grind and Union Market; all three venues price their food to yield maximum value to the students.
“Food insecurity is real. The MSU invests in the operations of the MSU Food Collective Centre to offer immediate food support to students,” said Farah.
The tax-free Tuesdays pilot program will look at and draw on responses from staff and students and more logistical feedback.
“To me the pilot is not a test of ‘success’ or ‘need.’ To lower costs at all is a success unto itself as there is a need,” said Farah.
On top of juggling academic and extracurricular involvements and struggling with tuition and residence fees, many students worry about not having enough food to eat. According to Farah, the MSU will continue to fulfill its commitment to providing students with affordable food options and advocate for McMaster to do the same.
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