Opinions Editor Ryan Obradovic explores the cost of the cafeteria’s food selection
By: RYAN OBRADOVIC
Opinions Editor
An issue I hear a lot of complaints about is the prices for food at the school cafeteria, provided by Treat America Dining. The prices are outrageous even for a person who is not in college and has money to blow on food.
For the average college student it seems as if they are robbing you blind. $4.50 for three chicken fingers? Come on now, those chicken fingers better curb my appetite until dinner at that price.
The majority of college students make minimum wage or something close to it, and that is about a half-hour’s worth of work. That is just the chicken fingers alone, so if you want fries that is another $1.95.
So, after tax you will end up paying around $7 for a measly little lunch where you could get a footlong sandwich and some chips from Subway for about the same. Treat America Dining should be thrown in jail for robbery and then have an extended sentence for bad behavior because of their ridiculous prices. I already have the wonderful government taking my hard earned money in taxes; I do not need to lose any more for a $3 slice of pizza.
I might as well go find a Little Caesars and spend two more dollars and get seven more pieces, although I should not even have to consider that.
Another aspect that is not appealing from Treat America Dining is the lack of customer service from the checkout women. It is bad enough I am paying more than I should, but I am greeted with the face of some ladies who look like they would rather be rolling around with a family of porcupines.
Granted, being the food cashier for a bunch of college kids is not the most elegant job, but they could do it with somewhat of a smile on their face instead of looking like they stepped on a thorn bush right after their dog was killed.
The lowering of prices would greatly help out the majority of students, therefore Treat America Dining would be getting a lot more customers and make more money. If anything, students who already buy food would get more since they can afford it.
Why do you think the fast food industry makes billions of dollars? Because it is affordable. I am not saying decrease the value of the food, because the food is actually quite good, just lower the prices. Treat America Dining will be happy with the profits, and the students will be happy because we will not have to spend a small fortune to eat lunch.
