By: Andrew Rowan ’19, Editor in Chief and Andrew Shah ’19, Social Media Editor
Editor’s Note: Since Meeting for Worship for Business is designated as off-the-record, this article is based solely off notes written by Recording Clerk Micaela Coll and other students’ accounts of the meeting.
Upper School students expressed nearly three dozen concerns regarding Moorestown Friends’ Food Service provider, SAGE Dining, in Thursday morning’s Meeting For Worship For Business.
The request for feedback on the food comes in preparation for the Food Quality Meeting on January 23rd. Food Quality Meetings consist of class secretaries from each grade, along with other members from the community, meeting with SAGE Dining representatives and Director of Finance and Operations Lisa Carbone Warren.
Student complaints ranged from basic necessities such as SAGE Dining running out of food and plastic utensils to more nuanced requests, such as increasing transparency about contract lunch plans and serving higher quality Chinese food.
Due to its commitment to making all of the food in-house, SAGE Dining is limited in what they can do to respond to student concerns. One community member requested that pizza be brought up from a restaurant on Main Street, similar to what the previous service provider, Healthy Foods by Choice, did on Fridays. Individuals described SAGE’s pizza as “not up to par” and “like Chuck-E-Cheese’s,” according to the minutes.
Many students reported seeing a representative from SAGE Dining sitting in the balcony during the meeting; however, WordsWorth can confirm that it was a faculty member from another Friends school who met with the clerks after the meeting to discuss MFS’ student government.
During Upper School lunch Thursday, many felt their concerns were further validated when SAGE ran out of mac and cheese early in the period, even removing the sign from the Manja Manja (the equivalent to grab-’n-go) station.
In the aftermath of Meeting for Worship for Business, students who ate lunch at the Dining Hall remained unsatisfied with the quality and quantity of the food in the Dining Hall.
Senior Ethan Barr commented on his experience with SAGE Dining in the lunch period following the contested Meeting for Worship for Business in the video below.
Senior Mariana Goldlust said, “I like the lettuce and croutons, but the grilled chicken in the caesar salad is [difficult to cut] and hurts my teeth to chew.”
Meeting for Worship for Business Clerk Lizzie Cohen declined to comment on how she felt the meeting went.
The class secretaries are expected to bring the concerns voiced at MFWFB to SAGE Dining at the Food Quality Committee meeting next Wednesday.
The notes from the Food Quality portion of the Meeting for Worship for Business are copied below, exactly as they were posted on the Student Government website.
Food Quality
- Just added sandwiches on Wednesdays and that is really good. Maybe they can add more?
- More transparency on what people on contract can actually get
- More food must be made every day, food is running out
- Plastic cups for travel
- More consistent about posting a price of food
- Lines are a tad chaotic and has gotten worse since entrance/exit
- Hoagie Bar?
- Can’t really something we can get back at this moment
- Less fruit water, more regular water
- More forks, always running out
- The possibility of taking credit/debit card
- Bring back Gatorade
- suggestion box doesn’t have pens
- a possibility of getting pizza from a place on the main street, pizza is not up to par
- Was brought up last time and they said it can’t be changed
- What happened to the old snack bar that had more snack variety
- What happened to the idea of a smoothie bar
- Bring back Chinese Food day, it is subpar now!
- Possibility that they have a calendar that is accurate
- Bring back donuts
- Buff chicken wrap is not up to standards
- If no food that they like, just get snacks
- CONSENSUS
- One day there were they really big cookies that were very good, bring them back
- Basic PB&J
- Can’t bring it back because of allergies
- Soda is actually more unhealthy
- Pizza takes like Chucky-Cheese pizza
- More clear signs of pricing
- Cut chicken in Caesar Salad
- Put signs up for vegetarians so they know that is meant and what is not
- Make more clear
- Bring back Kraft mac and cheese
- Get another microwave
- More transparency in Meeting for Worship for business about changes that are being made in the dining hall
Thank you for this helpful report of the Upper School’s Meeting for Business for Worship regarding our lunch program.
Many of these concerns were shared at the January 23 Food Quality Circle meeting, as well as positive feedback on other aspects of the new lunch program. It is worth noting that students expressed appreciation for the speedy implementation of suggestions brought forth at our October meeting such as adding more items to the Transit Fare refrigerator station. Students are also pleased with the hot food (Main Ingredient) options, and the many vegan and gluten free options that are now available.
Some other suggestions that SAGE has implemented include bringing back the made-to-order deli, moving the take-out station to a more convenient location for students, improving the chicken that is used in the Caesar salad so that it is more tender and easier to cut, and rotating the pizza that was being offered (almost on a daily basis) with other items such as ravioli, pasta, hot ham and cheese/croissant, grilled cheese, etc. SAGE is making changes to improve the Chinese menu items, has added a plain water dispenser (no fruit) and also GS Gatorade which is lower in sugar.
Both SAGE and MFS will work hard to make improvements when possible and are committed to providing our students with healthy, tasty choices for lunch.
The committee meets again in May and I encourage you to send your suggestions and comments to me ([email protected]), SAGE ([email protected]) or any member of the Food Quality Circle.