Every school campus should have a fully stocked and operational cafeteria. Pierce College is no exception to the rule.
The opening of the Pierce cafeteria happened almost two years ago, in March of 2014. Why is it, then, that it has yet to turn out any food? There is no doubt in my mind that plenty of time and money went into building the brand new space and acquiring the proper appliances. Therefore, it doesn’t make sense to just have unused materials sitting around.
Without a cafeteria, hungry students aren’t left with too many alternative food choices. There is a grand total of three food trucks to choose from, each located on opposite ends of the campus. Other than the distance, a common complaint about the food served by food trucks is that it’s not healthy at all. Not to mention, the few items they offer are pricey.
If you thought the food trucks were expensive, the snacks sold at the student store are even more overpriced. To say the least, it’s disappointing to have to pay so much for something that isn’t of good quality. Students should have access to a wider variety of filling, high-quality foods without going bankrupt in the process.
Besides food trucks, students have the Freudian Sip, which runs out of its products all too quickly and frequently. Additionally, the Sip provides limited outdoor seating. When the weather is right, eating outside can be nice. However, more often than not, it’s uncomfortably hot in Los Angeles, leaving you sweating it out under the sun and swatting at the incessant flies. Putting the cafeteria into use would provide a cooler, indoors alternative, which is definitely more comfortable and appealing.
Filling the cafeteria with food from a variety of vendors wouldn’t only benefit the students, but the school administration itself. The food sales would provide a steady revenue flow, which students will certainly be happy to contribute to. I see this as an obvious win-win situation in which both the provider and the consumer profit.
Since the cafeteria was built for the sole purpose of making and serving food, there is virtually nothing else it can be used for or transformed into. Not taking advantage of the space is a waste of money and resources. I firmly believe that Pierce should find a way to take advantage of the new and unused cafeteria if only because there’s simply no reason not to.
