Campus food prices are high because the university invites a company called Aramark to operate as a monopoly over all food services on campus. As a former student senator with the Progress Party, I authored bills and tried to use the power of Student Government to stop the administration from signing a new, more-than-decadelong, multimillion dollar contract with Aramark a year ago. My efforts were stopped by the majority party who acted, as usual, as a mouthpiece for the administration.
Aramark profits off of students not utilizing all of their pre-paid meals in dining halls (about 40 percent are missed) and by taking advantage of their monopoly position on campus and gouging students at their franchises.
On top of that, they extend their exploitation beyond their on-campus monopoly; it's even a violation for a student to bring food in from an off-campus establishment for a group meeting in the Reitz Union. The food must be provided by Aramark's on-campus catering company, Classic Fare. Talk about exploitation. Many campuses around the country in the past few years have kicked Arakmark out. It's time for students to fight back.
