According to the Lake Forest College website, the average cost of annual tuition totals up to over $53,000, with more than $5,000 going toward meal plans per student each year. Since Lake Forest College students have already paid for dining costs, why are we stopped at the exit of the dining hall for taking out more than just a dessert and a beverage? Why are we required to throw away excess food instead of being allowed to take it with us?
The Gus and Margie Hart Dining Hall, as described by the College’s web page, offers students an “all you care to eat” dining experience. If that is the case, why are students restricted to take only one fruit/dessert and one beverage? Jason Micenko, food service director, said he “oversees all dining services at Lake Forest College,” and is the right person to shed some light on the situation.
He said there are many reasons why Aramark and Lake Forest College have implemented this dining policy. First, it is not feasible to allow students to take out as much food as they wish because of budgetary constraints. Micenko said that with a lower budget “there would be fewer food options and the quality of food would also be decreased.”
Second, there are health concerns that go along with food takeout. “If a student leaves the cafeteria with food and does not take care of the time and temperature of the food, they can become very sick,” Micenko said.
McKenzie Mac ’19, the food representative of Student Government at the College, was able to offer a student’s perspective on the dining policy. Her explanation was quite simple. “The cafeteria offers us a dining experience similar to that of a buffet, and you wouldn’t expect to get takeout from a buffet, would you,” she said. The same principle applies to the College’s cafeteria, she said.
For students dining on a budget, she said: “Take fruit or dessert out and try to get a good three meals in.”
To add to that, Micenko said: “Spend your flex dollars wisely.”
While it may seem unfair to some that students are not allowed to take food out of the cafeteria, Lake Forest College ultimately offers students “more bang for [their] buck” as well as a variety in dining options that are not only limited to the dining hall at the College.
