The Piedmont College cafeteria has made a change this year. It began receiving services from Chartwells, a company that provides food to schools throughout the United States.
I’m sure most would agree that Chartwells is step up from past years. Chartwells food is healthier, their service is better, and their facilities are cleaner. Their strive for cleaner facilities and friendlier workers is noble, but what about customer service?
I would love to fully take advantage of these great things, but I rarely get to eat their because of the hours. Most of my classes take place during the hours the cafeteria is open. What am I supposed to do?
In reality I am paying for nothing. Buying a meal plan is not cheap by any means. So why should students get punished because their classes overlap the cafeteria hours?
I understand that the college has a contract with Chartwells, but other schools that they provide service too have more reasonable hours. At Texas State University, seven different dining halls offer hours that range from 7:00 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Friday.
The college was right in trying to find ways to better the school and provide we the students with a better quality of food. But they didn’t think of us when deciding on times. Chartwells has said that they stick to the hours they have now so they can keep everything clean. But we’re not asking for it too stay open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, a few extra hours a day couldn’t hurt. If the cafeteria were to stay open an hour later at lunch and dinner, many of the current problems would be resolved.
Overall bringing Chartwells to Piedmont has been in the student’s best interest. But until the cafeteria hours can be altered I don’t know if the students will see the good in it or not.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Lakeside Dining
After arriving at Piedmont College as a freshman this fall, I was forced to adapt to a new way of life. A vital part in this adaption occurred during the meal time hours. I feel that Chartwells Food Service has done an adequate job making this transition easier for most students. My overall dining experience has been fairly pleasant. However, there are several areas that Chartwells could address in order to live up to their full potential. The overall success of a cafeteria is usually based on its service, quality of food, and hours of operation. Therefore, by taking all of these aspects into consideration it will only translate into student satisfaction and a healthy college environment.
In a collegiate atmosphere, it is important to have reputable employees working for the college cafeteria. The disposition of the employees directly correlates with the satisfaction of the customers. Friendly employees will create a friendly dining experience for students, allowing them to escape from their studies momentarily to enjoy a well prepared meal. The Chartwells food service should be praised for the kindliness of their staff. They should be commended for always having a greeter at the door and an assistant at every station to better serve you.
Along with the quality of the staff, I have also been fairly impressed with the quality of the food. I understand that Chartwells is not a five-star restaurant; therefore, I cannot be too critical of the taste of the food. Even though my taste buds have been generally satisfied, there are instances I view as unacceptable such as undercooked chicken and cold pasta. These are problems I feel that the Chartwell staff should address immediately. After all, the food in the cafeteria is not free. As students, we are entitled to three quality meals a day. This problem could be addressed with minimal disadvantage to the Chartwell staff. They could have someone simply taste the foods prior to the foods presentation. It should not be difficult to prevent further discouraging instances. This aside, the food has been fairly pleasing throughout Chartwells commencement this semester.
One major criticism I have towards Chartwells is their hours of operation. Students are forced to base their eating habits around their daily schedules, and it is not uncommon to see students going to class on an empty stomach. I understand that Chartwells offers take out boxes, but even so, it is an extreme inconvenience for students to rush to the cafeteria for the 10 minutes they have between classes. Many athletic schedules also conflict with the cafeteria’s hours of operation. It is Chartwells job as our food service provider to accommodate the needs of all students, not just those who find it convenient to dine during normal meal time hours.
I understand that Chartwells is under contract with the college, however I feel that slight adaptations could be made to better accommodate Piedmont students. For instance, the cafeteria’s main reasoning for closing between meals is to clean, but certainly the cafeteria is not always packed with students and faculty. The cafeteria could operate without closing if they were to clean during the hours where cafeteria traffic is slow. Marietta College in Ohio is composed of about 1,500 students and Chartwells is able to operate non-stop from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday thru Thursday. Surely the staff at Marietta cleans at some point during those hours. At Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, three different dining halls operate from 7:30 a.m. to Midnight, Monday thru Thursday. This school of 2,100 students is only slightly bigger than that of Piedmont, yet they find a way to accommodate everyone. The Chartwells staff may argue the inconvenience of providing hot food throughout the day; however, they could consider providing cold snacks such as cereal, yogurt, or fruits. By leaving the doors open between meals, it will provide students who may have missed a meal with the option of healthy snacking throughout the day. Addressing these considerations would be pleasing to many customers, directly resulting in better business for the Chartwells food service.
In a collegiate atmosphere, it is important to have reputable employees working for the college cafeteria. The disposition of the employees directly correlates with the satisfaction of the customers. Friendly employees will create a friendly dining experience for students, allowing them to escape from their studies momentarily to enjoy a well prepared meal. The Chartwells food service should be praised for the kindliness of their staff. They should be commended for always having a greeter at the door and an assistant at every station to better serve you.
Along with the quality of the staff, I have also been fairly impressed with the quality of the food. I understand that Chartwells is not a five-star restaurant; therefore, I cannot be too critical of the taste of the food. Even though my taste buds have been generally satisfied, there are instances I view as unacceptable such as undercooked chicken and cold pasta. These are problems I feel that the Chartwell staff should address immediately. After all, the food in the cafeteria is not free. As students, we are entitled to three quality meals a day. This problem could be addressed with minimal disadvantage to the Chartwell staff. They could have someone simply taste the foods prior to the foods presentation. It should not be difficult to prevent further discouraging instances. This aside, the food has been fairly pleasing throughout Chartwells commencement this semester.
One major criticism I have towards Chartwells is their hours of operation. Students are forced to base their eating habits around their daily schedules, and it is not uncommon to see students going to class on an empty stomach. I understand that Chartwells offers take out boxes, but even so, it is an extreme inconvenience for students to rush to the cafeteria for the 10 minutes they have between classes. Many athletic schedules also conflict with the cafeteria’s hours of operation. It is Chartwells job as our food service provider to accommodate the needs of all students, not just those who find it convenient to dine during normal meal time hours.
I understand that Chartwells is under contract with the college, however I feel that slight adaptations could be made to better accommodate Piedmont students. For instance, the cafeteria’s main reasoning for closing between meals is to clean, but certainly the cafeteria is not always packed with students and faculty. The cafeteria could operate without closing if they were to clean during the hours where cafeteria traffic is slow. Marietta College in Ohio is composed of about 1,500 students and Chartwells is able to operate non-stop from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday thru Thursday. Surely the staff at Marietta cleans at some point during those hours. At Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, three different dining halls operate from 7:30 a.m. to Midnight, Monday thru Thursday. This school of 2,100 students is only slightly bigger than that of Piedmont, yet they find a way to accommodate everyone. The Chartwells staff may argue the inconvenience of providing hot food throughout the day; however, they could consider providing cold snacks such as cereal, yogurt, or fruits. By leaving the doors open between meals, it will provide students who may have missed a meal with the option of healthy snacking throughout the day. Addressing these considerations would be pleasing to many customers, directly resulting in better business for the Chartwells food service.
Cafeteria Hours: Not Satisfying to Students
Chartwells, a popular food service for schools throughout the nation, is now providing their service for Piedmont College, and they have caused an uproar in the student body due to their hours of operation.
Most students would agree that in comparison to previous years, Chartwells provides healthier food in a cleaner environment. The employees are friendly and efficient workers, and the service is satisfying. However, Chartwells opens and closes the dining hall at specific times throughout the day, and their hours are not satisfying to the student population.
Several students have classes during the times that the dining hall is open. When they finally get out of class, Chartwells has closed down the dining hall, and students have missed out on their lunch.
“When I go to class, Chartwells opens up the cafeteria. I get out right after they close, and I’m not allowed in,” says Matthew Hudgens, a freshman mass communications major.
Due to the ranting of Piedmont College students, Chartwells decided to hold a meeting to answer questions and to give explanations for their hours.
According to Chartwells, the cafeteria values cleanliness, which was a major problem with the previous food service. Chartwells said that they close down the cafeteria in-between meals so they can take time to clean the facility.
Chartwells also asked the student body to stop calling the dining hall a cafeteria. Instead, they would rather students to refer to it as a restaurant.
“A restaurant is a business,” said Clayton Bennett, a sophomore at Piedmont. “If they’re going to run it like a business, they need to be open like a business. Restaurants don’t close between meals.”
Chartwells also offers their services at Cleveland State University, where they do not close throughout the day. Their hours are from 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. At Illinois College, Chartwells is open from 7:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. Monday through Friday.
Students are paying for meals that they are not receiving. Students have to eat, and many are not able to spend extra money on food each day. The cafeteria hours are depriving students from food they have purchased.
If Chartwells were to stay open an hour extra after their current lunch hours, students would be satisfied. Another solution would be to have a fruit stand, cereal, and fountain drinks available between meals.
Chartwells says they are looking for solutions to their problems related to cafeteria hours. After studying students’ schedules, hopefully they will be open at more convenient times, and the controversy will finally end.
Most students would agree that in comparison to previous years, Chartwells provides healthier food in a cleaner environment. The employees are friendly and efficient workers, and the service is satisfying. However, Chartwells opens and closes the dining hall at specific times throughout the day, and their hours are not satisfying to the student population.
Several students have classes during the times that the dining hall is open. When they finally get out of class, Chartwells has closed down the dining hall, and students have missed out on their lunch.
“When I go to class, Chartwells opens up the cafeteria. I get out right after they close, and I’m not allowed in,” says Matthew Hudgens, a freshman mass communications major.
Due to the ranting of Piedmont College students, Chartwells decided to hold a meeting to answer questions and to give explanations for their hours.
According to Chartwells, the cafeteria values cleanliness, which was a major problem with the previous food service. Chartwells said that they close down the cafeteria in-between meals so they can take time to clean the facility.
Chartwells also asked the student body to stop calling the dining hall a cafeteria. Instead, they would rather students to refer to it as a restaurant.
“A restaurant is a business,” said Clayton Bennett, a sophomore at Piedmont. “If they’re going to run it like a business, they need to be open like a business. Restaurants don’t close between meals.”
Chartwells also offers their services at Cleveland State University, where they do not close throughout the day. Their hours are from 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. At Illinois College, Chartwells is open from 7:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. Monday through Friday.
Students are paying for meals that they are not receiving. Students have to eat, and many are not able to spend extra money on food each day. The cafeteria hours are depriving students from food they have purchased.
If Chartwells were to stay open an hour extra after their current lunch hours, students would be satisfied. Another solution would be to have a fruit stand, cereal, and fountain drinks available between meals.
Chartwells says they are looking for solutions to their problems related to cafeteria hours. After studying students’ schedules, hopefully they will be open at more convenient times, and the controversy will finally end.
Continuous hours are possible
| When it comes to discussing the dining hall situation, I am left with mixed emotions. I must admit, the food quality and choice has increased to the point where I don’t eat the same thing every day. The pricing is also great for our visitors. Chartwells has accomplished many things as far as taking care of their customers; however, the students of Piedmont College are left with distasteful feelings. The question is not, will Chartwells ever open all day for us, instead, how do we adjust our schedule to work with the dining hall in the future? To my amazement, Chartwells is the catering company at Louisburg College. Their operating hours are nearly identical to Piedmont’s with the exception that, at Louisburg, they only close for thirty minutes between breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday. Chartwells also operates at Marietta College where they have continuous hours Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The dining hall management receives a harsh load of complaints from students on a daily basis because the students are not completely satisfied. The students feel as if they are inconvenienced by the operating hours. Whether it is closed after class hours or not operating between some class hours, the students feel they are being treated unfairly. I felt that I didn’t have a say in when the cafeteria should or shouldn’t be opened. Neither did any of my classmates. Who is going to the cafeteria three times a day to eat? The students; so doesn’t it make sense that we should have a say in when the dining hall should operate? After attending the dining hall meeting, the operation hours was clearly the main issue at hand. The students want the dining hall opened all day because they want be able to sit in there between classes to get an apple or fresh water for that matter. However, Chartwells as well as the executives of Piedmont believe leaving the dining hall opened from 7 a.m. to 7p.m. will create a cleansing problem. If that is so, what’s being done to make Marietta’s continuous hours successful? As a student, my solution for this problem between students and the management is to try to work with the students, their customers, in ways that are highly manageable. Maybe opening all day for one week as a trial run could help us see if continuous hours would actually work. It would satisfy the students to see that it was an option. |
Friday, August 31, 2007
Blog Post #2 due Wednesday Sept. 5
Weigh in on the current Piedmont cafeteria controversy. What do you think about the new food management, including hours of operation, cleanliness, food quality, service and price? Do not give me a rant about everything you hate about the cafeteria. You must consider the business reasons behind the decisions that have been made. You must do research on other colleges of similar size and compare their food service operations with ours. Include praise for what you like about the new food service, and possible solutions for what you don't like.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Global Warming - Irreversable damage?
The earth is getting warmer. Greenhouse gasses are increasing in the atmosphere and, while these gasses are a natural phenomenon, the level in which they are appearing are not.
According to the EPA's web site, an “unequivocal” warming trend of about 1.0 to 1.7°F occurred from 1906-2005. Warming occurred in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and over the oceans.
This is caused by the build up of greenhouse gasses, the atmospheric buildup of CO2 and other gases. It is largely the result of human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels.
The major greenhouse gases emitted by human activities remain in the atmosphere for periods ranging from decades to centuries. It is therefore virtually certain that atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases will continue to rise over the next few decades.
This increase in gasses creates heat and warms the planet.
All of these facts are from the Environmental Protection Agency. They come strait from a study done in 2007 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
While over-politicized in the past few years, global warming definitely is a viable threat. If this heating trend continues, ice caps will melt, flooding the continents - among other things.
According to the EPA, the United States is committed to reducing the greenhouse gas intensity of the American economy by 18 percent over the 10-year period from 2002 to 2012. This initiative puts America on a path to slow the growth of greenhouse gas emissions, and -- as the science supports -- to stop, and then reverse that growth.
Greenhouse gas intensity is the ratio of greenhouse gas emissions to economic output. The U.S. goal is to lower emissions from an estimated 183 metric tons per million dollars of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2002, to 151 metric tons per million dollars of GDP in 2012. The U.S. commitment will achieve 100 million metric tons of reduced emissions in 2012 alone, with more than 500 million metric tons in cumulative savings over the entire decade. The policy focuses on reducing emissions through technology improvements and dissemination, improving the efficiency of energy use, voluntary programs with industry and shifts to cleaner fuels.
The intensity-based approach promotes near-term opportunities (e.g. voluntary programs and partnerships) to conserve fossil fuel, recover methane and sequester carbon. These programs encourage the adoption of existing technologies, energy efficiency improvements and renewable resources to reduce emissions cost-effectively. In the longer term, development and deployment of breakthrough technology will provide safe and reliable energy to fuel our economy with reduced or no greenhouse gas emissions.
While these plans are indeed a step in the right direction, none of them with be worth anything if people do not band together and pitch in to stave off the gasses we are creating.
According to the EPA's web site, an “unequivocal” warming trend of about 1.0 to 1.7°F occurred from 1906-2005. Warming occurred in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and over the oceans.
This is caused by the build up of greenhouse gasses, the atmospheric buildup of CO2 and other gases. It is largely the result of human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels.
The major greenhouse gases emitted by human activities remain in the atmosphere for periods ranging from decades to centuries. It is therefore virtually certain that atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases will continue to rise over the next few decades.
This increase in gasses creates heat and warms the planet.
All of these facts are from the Environmental Protection Agency. They come strait from a study done in 2007 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
While over-politicized in the past few years, global warming definitely is a viable threat. If this heating trend continues, ice caps will melt, flooding the continents - among other things.
According to the EPA, the United States is committed to reducing the greenhouse gas intensity of the American economy by 18 percent over the 10-year period from 2002 to 2012. This initiative puts America on a path to slow the growth of greenhouse gas emissions, and -- as the science supports -- to stop, and then reverse that growth.
Greenhouse gas intensity is the ratio of greenhouse gas emissions to economic output. The U.S. goal is to lower emissions from an estimated 183 metric tons per million dollars of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2002, to 151 metric tons per million dollars of GDP in 2012. The U.S. commitment will achieve 100 million metric tons of reduced emissions in 2012 alone, with more than 500 million metric tons in cumulative savings over the entire decade. The policy focuses on reducing emissions through technology improvements and dissemination, improving the efficiency of energy use, voluntary programs with industry and shifts to cleaner fuels.
The intensity-based approach promotes near-term opportunities (e.g. voluntary programs and partnerships) to conserve fossil fuel, recover methane and sequester carbon. These programs encourage the adoption of existing technologies, energy efficiency improvements and renewable resources to reduce emissions cost-effectively. In the longer term, development and deployment of breakthrough technology will provide safe and reliable energy to fuel our economy with reduced or no greenhouse gas emissions.
While these plans are indeed a step in the right direction, none of them with be worth anything if people do not band together and pitch in to stave off the gasses we are creating.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Global warming: a frightening reality.
Global warming is a reality whether we believe it or not. According to NASA and the NOAA, the earth is currently warming at 0.32F/decade and the top ten warmest years of the century have all occurred since 1990. It is now time for us, the same people who have contributed to the increased levels of greenhouse gases, to act.
According to the National Geographic, Industrialization, deforestation, and pollution are all greenhouse gases that help trap heat closer to the earth’s surface. However bad these causes are, they will not cease. Forests will continue to go down in order to produce bigger and better facilities.
The problem with the emitted greenhouse gases, such as Carbon Dioxide, is that the gases can linger for years. Not only are more and more gases being emitted each day, but they are just adding to an already ample amount of greenhouse gases. Due to the lingering of gases global warming would continue even if stopped today.
The best way to eliminate global warming is to educate. Al Gore got the ball rolling by creating “An Inconvenient Truth.” He describes the causes of global warming and what we can do to help. His film led to “Live Earth.” According to their website, “Live Earth” was a 24-hour, 7-continent concert series that took place on 7/7/07 that brought together more than 100 music artists and 2 billion people to trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis. Raising awareness is what has been done so far, and that is the key to educating.
Although there are other causes of global warming besides human-behavior, we can only change what we do. We cannot control weather patterns or natural disasters, but we can take advantage of the knowledge we have gained and take action. Global warning may not affect us, or our kids, but what about future generations?
According to the National Geographic, Industrialization, deforestation, and pollution are all greenhouse gases that help trap heat closer to the earth’s surface. However bad these causes are, they will not cease. Forests will continue to go down in order to produce bigger and better facilities.
The problem with the emitted greenhouse gases, such as Carbon Dioxide, is that the gases can linger for years. Not only are more and more gases being emitted each day, but they are just adding to an already ample amount of greenhouse gases. Due to the lingering of gases global warming would continue even if stopped today.
The best way to eliminate global warming is to educate. Al Gore got the ball rolling by creating “An Inconvenient Truth.” He describes the causes of global warming and what we can do to help. His film led to “Live Earth.” According to their website, “Live Earth” was a 24-hour, 7-continent concert series that took place on 7/7/07 that brought together more than 100 music artists and 2 billion people to trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis. Raising awareness is what has been done so far, and that is the key to educating.
Although there are other causes of global warming besides human-behavior, we can only change what we do. We cannot control weather patterns or natural disasters, but we can take advantage of the knowledge we have gained and take action. Global warning may not affect us, or our kids, but what about future generations?
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