Over the last month, students discussed the food quality in Wadsworth Dining Hall. A recent survey, conducted by a student life association, showed that nine students out of 58 total felt “good” towards Wads dining, 17 students felt “neutral,” 23 students rated the dining hall as “bad,” and nine students rated the dining hall as “very bad.” Common complaints on this survey include hair found in food, improperly washed cutlery with food still on it, and a lack of food options beyond the current offerings.
Meanwhile, the students who felt neutral and good praised the service of the workers, the desserts and yogurts, and the general return to normalcy post-pandemic the dining hall has pulled off. In-person dining is back, along with dishes and a wider variety of food that can be served.
An anonymous student worker discussed his employment with Wadsworth Dining. He acknowledged that the salad mix isn’t replaced as often as it should be. The worker claims to replace the salad mix when possible, but he’s often occupied in numerous duties. He stated how he’s pulled across numerous stations throughout a shift, from washing dishes to serving cooked food. It’s part of his job description as a student worker in the dining service.
A food-line cook commented on her experiences in Wads Dining. She enjoys working in the dining hall because students enjoy her food: “When people like my cooking, it fills me with joy.” She mentioned how one person criticized her pizza’s quality, but she rebutted with how many more dining hall visitors compliment her pizzas. She’s been employed in the kitchens for three years, but she remains part-time. She expressed issues with scheduling due to a lack of workers. The increased demands for more workers has led her to covering more shifts, but she appreciates all the polite students complimenting her food. Her experience with the dining hall has been mainly positive.
After last year’s adjustments to COVID regulations, dining services have struggled to keep up with demands. Students are also dealing with additional stresses brought upon them by the pandemic and its interference with the Michigan Tech lifestyle. These discussions on improvements made or in progress may continue until a worthy compromise is reached.
One Response
In my experience I have found maggots in the dish rooms, and staff being unhygienic and unsanitary. Management doesn’t care. Tech dining is disgusting at EVERY hall. I quit my job with tech because of these issues.