Chartwells survey to determine fate of campus Chick-fil-A

By
Posted: Thursday, September 27th, 2012 at 4:03 pm | Last Updated: Thursday, September 27th, 2012 at 4:15 pm
View Comments Comments Print This Article Print This Email This Article Email This Tweet This Article Tweet This Add This Article to Delicious Delicious

Chick-fil-A owner Dan Cathy has been a center of controversy since 2010 because of his practice of donating profits from his restaurant chain to organizations opposed to same-sex marriage.

At Oakland University, the home of Michigan’s only Chick-fil-A, the controversy was ever-present.

Anti-discrimination groups on campus, along with various faculty and administrative representatives, recently held meetings with Chartwells, the food service provider at OU, to inform the organization of mounting concerns due to the controversy surrounding Chick-fil-A.

The concerns of the students, faculty and administration coupled with recent developments in the story have now caused Chartwells to do something they haven’t done before — ask for the students’ opinions on the divisive restaurant.

On Wednesday, the OU homepage featured a news brief to inform the student population of a survey meant to “gauge student sentiment” on the Chick-fil-A controversy.

The survey requires students to go to one of two survey sites located outside the Chartwells office in the Oakland Center and outside the Vandenberg Cafeteria or fill out an online survey.

The in-person survey sites require students to present their student IDs to participate and are open from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. from Wednesday, Sept. 26 to Friday, Sept. 28. However, there is a minimum requirement of participants in order for the survey to be considered accurate. If that minimum is not met by Friday, the survey will be extended.

Survey results will be used by Chartwells to determine the fate of Michigan’s only Chick-fil-A.

EMU


  • Samuel Yao

    I think the most important question to consider here is that when you buy from Chick-Fil-A, how much of that money is going to the anti-equal-rights organizations? As some people put it, it is an issue of free speech, but what they miss is that its one that plays out on both sides. On one side, Dan Cathy has the right to speak in favor for, as well as donate to bigoted, Christian extremist organizations. (And issues with these organizations span far more than just their position on marriage equality. They fund bogus research and spread lies about LGBT’s as well as demote science education, and have a very notable anti-separation of church and state agenda. Focus on the Family is a good example of such an organization.) On the other side, we have the right to refuse to buy from a restaurant that donates to such groups.

    While sources say Chick-Fil-A no longer supports these organizations, the extra money could just be routed around, such as as bonuses for executive positions of the company that could go right back out to the organizations.

    I think we need a bit more details (so perhaps more time) to make an educated final decision on the matter. That said, I still think the course of action taken here (of asking the students) is the best compromise. However, it seems doesn’t seem all that likely that enough students care enough about the issue to boycott. (i.e. “I just want my food and don’t care where the money goes.”)

    Of course, even if the restaurant stays, I don’t think most people who wouldn’t buy from them have a diet consisting of only fries/chicken. There are alternatives around Chartwells and around the campus.

  • El Chikki

    Chartwells food blows. Chick-fil-a’s food is the only good stuff on campus.