I am sitting in a chair. The chair is raised about four feet off the ground and there's about two or three of them in my immediate area along with a table . The meal that sits on top of the table in front of me is my lunch. I eat lunch on one of these chairs in this building almost every day. It's disgusting. The meat is tasteless, the rice is undercooked, the chips are stale, and worst of all there is not enough sour cream in what is the poor excuse for a burrito that I ordered from the Salsa Rico stand in Steinman College Center, which is owned and operated by Sodexo.

For the uninitiated, Sodexo is a French corporation "dedicated" to bringing 'Quality of Life' services to people and companies around the world. Under this broad definition lies many things including senior care, facility management services, and - most importantly - food services. That's where we, the student body of Franklin & Marshall College, come in. Sodexo serves F&M's campus with a total of 6 different venues, 3 of which are in my beloved College Center. After Vocelli's, a fast food chain that made serviceable Italian food, moved out of the College Center this summer, Sodexo became the only game on campus. Unfortunately, what came after what was arguably the best place to get food on campus was a sad excuse for a deli called The Horseshoe Cafe. The crumby bread, processed meats, and flavorless cheeses make for one hell of a meal swipe (roughly $12 based on the price of the 225 block meal plan). The faceless, profit-driven machine strikes again by taking something I liked, getting rid of it because it was too costly, and replacing it with something much worse.

Keep in my mind that when I complain about Sodexo, I complain about the food they use and the prices they charge. Their staff, having a few sassy chefs here and there (KIVO meat lady *cough*), and the overwhelming majority of Sodexo's employees are doing a great job. Any frequenter of Zime would agree that the staff is second to none. However, that does not change the fact that when I order a coffee and a bacon, egg, and cheese, I end up paying almost triple what I would at my hometown bagel shop, which certainly has better ingredients and preparation than any of the frozen food I have bought at Zime.

This is not an issue to be taken lightly. We as a community deserve better food for the price we pay. I am tired of walking into the Dining Hall day after day and being treated to the same rotation of mediocre dishes that wouldn't be acceptable in most snack stands, let alone a cafeteria made to service thousands of people day in and day out. Franklin & Marshall College has gained a reputation in recent years for being on the cutting edge of the liberal arts education. Now, after a record-smashing year for admissions, it's time for the administration to either the force Sodexo to improve the quality of its food or seek out better dining options altogether. The student body has spoken, now it is time to do something about it.