Petition asks for student dining plans to be reimbursed
An online petition at change.org with more than 2,900 signatures is seeking reimbursement for students who have paid for dining plans at Kent State University due to the low quality of food service provided.
Posted by Fiona Burnham, who the Record-courier was unable to reach for comment on Tuesday, the petition states there have been “multiple incidents of students falling ill due to the quality of the food provided.”
“We were promised healthy, diverse, options that fit our needs, but are instead forced to eat bland and unchanging meals all day every day – and that is only if we are lucky enough to have any choices at all, seeing as how there have been multiple meal periods with no gluten free or vegan options at all due to station closures,” Burnham's petition reads.
A university spokesman was unavailable to comment Tuesday afternoon.
According to the petition and the university's website, the cost of food service plans starts at $2,356 per semester.
The petition also mentions that undercooked chicken being served to students has been documented by photo posted to social media.
Commenters on the petition cited uneven and occasionally poor quality of food and the lack of choice and selection for special diets – such as glutenfree and vegan options – as reasons for signing.
Marilyn Shimp, of Akron, said her daughter has told her the food at Eastway has been of poor quality.
“In move-in week, Eastway was the only thing open,” she said. “Eastway should be shut down.”
She said her daughter experienced raw chicken, undercooked rice and no fresh fruit at the location, one of the university's dining options.
“Even the easy stuff is subpar,” Shimp said. “The should be able to serve some burgers and fries and chicken nuggets and tater tots, but even those are subpar. Every time she ate at Eastway, she had an upset stomach.”
According to the petition, the university has “cited staffing problems, as well as the adjustments required due to the recent withdrawal from their partnership with Aramark as explanations for the underwhelming service.”
Shimp said the food at Rosie's Diner and Market and Design Innovation Hub Dining are better than Eastway, but still not up to the standard she expects.
Shimp said her daughter has been grocery shopping and spending time at the apartment of a friend who is a sophomore to get reliable food.
“She graduated a year yearly, is going to college and was looking forward to this great college experience, didn't go to high school for a couple years because of COVID, and she has this,” said Shimp.
Do you have a business or healthcare story you’d like to share? Reporter Bob Gaetjens can be reached at 330-5419440, bgaetjens@recordpub.com and @bobgaetjens_rc.