With recent changes made to dining options and a new ten-year contract, issues between Oakland and Chartwells have arisen. Many students were hoping for increased quality of food and for better service, but some students remain disappointed with the company.

Students in years past were usually able to count on there being consistent items, like ice cream, in the cafeteria. 

Students like junior Sarah Benson pointed out that many times students have found the cart out, without anything in it. Or alternatively, get to the cart and realize the water to clean the scoop is murky, with no running water attached to the cart.

“You really have to dig in there to get ice cream, which is annoying,” Benson said.

In similar thought to lack of items, many students have found that their “fourth meal” options are very seldom an entire meal, and there are little options with what you eat.  

Personally, I attended every fourth meal last week and two of the meals were fantastic, but two I threw right into the trash and went to McDonalds.

It’s difficult for many students to make it to dinner, given night classes, work, or extra-curricular activities. 

Sophomore Kylie Wichtner typically is out late with her organization responsibilities and can only make fourth meal for dinner.

“I find it irritating when they only provide one meal, and there’s rarely vegetarian or vegan options. If there is one, it’s just a side salad, made from shredded taco lettuce, which is hardly a meal,” Wichtner said. “What I don’t like about Vandy food is that it’s either really, really good, or really bad.”

These limitations are also obvious when it comes to students with very specific dietary restrictions. 

Aaron Pickover, senior, is Jewish and has found problems over his time at Oakland getting Chartwells to provide him with food he can eat.

“Most of the time, I have to decide which rules to break to eat dinner,” Pickover said. “And especially around Passover, I have little to no options in the dining hall.”

He continued to say that many times, he resorts to cooking in his apartment, as he has been finding kosher options to be very limited.

Mark McCormic, district manager of Chartwells, denied to comment on student complaints directly, but said he recommends students to contact Chartwells directly when they have issues, either via the Text-To-Solve phone number, or through the Chartwells office.

James Zentmeyer, director of OU Housing, encouraged students at the RHA meeting last Thursday to take advantage of the upcoming Town Hall meetings Chartwells will host to voice concerns about the food options.

In addition, RHA has established a new Chartwells Committee which meets in the Downstairs Vandenberg cafeteria at 5 p.m. on Tuesdays to discuss communication with the company about issues.

Contact Chartwells via Text-to-Solve at 248-923-4042 or visit the office in the Oakland Center.