Page 12-Friday, March 2, 1979-The Michigan Daily

Dorm food directors counter complaint
evaluated by 66 to 89 per cent of those University Food Service prepares 13 offer students the option of vegetarian eveyone would be higher." On weeken-
responding. And 27 to 89 per cent of the meals a week for more than 8,000 meals. ds about 25 per cent fewer people eat in been serving," Christoph asserted. THE MOST common negative com-
students termed "quality of food" good, students i the ten residence hall ser- Christoph said each dorm order the cafeterias. When asked for menu suggestions, ment on the survey was about the food
very good, or excellent. ving units. All Hill dorm residents pay supplies from the University Central CONTRARY TO popular opinion, a students evidently give conflicting temperature. One third of those sur-
Percentages varies considerably 'for identical services. Food Store. He said this service ensures tight budget does not mean that low responses - some say the food is too veyed felt hot foods were not hot enough
between the dorms but Christoph HOUSING OFFICE figures reveal that food of equal quality is served in quality food is served even near the end bland while others think it is too spicy. and cold foods were not cold enough.

refused to specify the ratings earned by
each dorm on the Hill. But he said, "I
won't deny that Stockwell came out the
best." On the survey Stockwell, which
houses only women, gave their
cafeteria much higher ratings than did
the students at any of the other four Hill
dorms.
A vast majority of the Stockwell
diners rated food acceptability and
quality favorably. In the other four Hill
area dorms, ratings averaged at about
40 per cent with quality of food
receiving a lower rating than accep-
tability in every dorm but Stockwell,
where that figure went up.
"A LOT OF THE way people perceive
food service is based on reputation and
past history," and this perception was
reflected in the way students rated the
food in their own dorms, according to
Christoph "Halls have an image," he
said. Differences between the residence
halls was also attributed to kitchen
staff differences.
Legends and theories abound on the
quality and origin of the food served in
the residence halls on campus. Food
Service directors are quick to dispell
these rumors.

that the largest portion of the housing
dollar, 21.5 per cent, goes for raw food
costs. Each student pays $431.56 for
food. For two terms a total of 3.25
million dollars is budgeted to feed
University boarders.
The food bill for each student is $1.63
every day. This figure is higher than at
many universities because "we serve
more meat and less extender courses,"'
explained Lynn Tubbs, University Food
Service Coordinator. "We tend to run
more chops and roasts."
Students are allowed unlimited
reserves on all foods except steak,
bacon and shrimp and Tubbs pointed
out that other schools "only do reserves
on extender courses, not whole meats."
"ONE OF THE MAJOR goals of Food.
Service is high customer satisfaction.
We try to serve the best quality food
withing budget restrictions," said Tub-
bs.
A standard menu is planned by Food
Service which is tailored to fit the needs
and character of the individual halls. A
dorm may opt to change the menu
"because of labor or specific unit
needs," said Tubbs. Alice Lloyd,
Markley and East Quad, for example,

each unit. Meals are cooked in each
dorm kitchen and Christoph called food
preparation "scratch operations."
STOCKWELL HAS earned the distin-
ction of having the best food on campus.
This rumor was explained by Norma
Morris, Markley Food Service
manager. "Girls eat less and more time
can be devoted in preparing the smaller
quantities. In co-ed dorms such as
Markley,'"girls tend to eat more when
they eat with boys," said Morris.
Morris said Markley kitchen staff
prepares food for about 1100 people on
weekdays. She said feeding the residents
requires 350 to 400 pounds of roast beef
and 800 baked potatoes. In one sitting,
the residents can consume 60 gallons of
spaghetti sauce and 120 pounds of
noodles or about 1500 chopped rounds.
The Markley cooks prepare 50 pans of
lasagne for a single dinner. Huge 30
gallon vats of soup are preapred daily
for lunch.
All of the students who have meal
contracts do not eat each meal in the
dorms. In Mosher-Jordan, for example,
420 of the 480 residents eat per meal.
Tubb said, "Meals are planned on an
absence factor. Without it, the rate for

of the term. "We try to balance between
what students like and what is priced
right," stated Christoph. "We try to buy
high quality food and make the best
quality food."
Believe it or not, Tubbs says the'
"hockey pucks" and "quaddie
burgers" are 100 per cent beef. The con-
tents of the infamous hamburger pat-
ties served in the University dor-
mitories has long been the subject of
sarcastic discussion among residents
but Tubbs confirmed, "we don't use any
soy product in our hamburgers."
Name-brand and convenience foods
are sometimes used. The higher cost of
these products, such as "Sara Lee"
cakes and "Chef Pierre" pies, is
"balanced off by labor savings," ex-
plained Tubbs.
COLLEGE DORMITORIES are
traditionaly reputed to serve a diet high
in starch. Tubbs objected, "That is a
completely unjustified complaint."
Because so many choices are offered
"There is enough variety for a balanced
diet ... we can't control their choices."
"Students say they want variety, but
when we ask them what they want, they
name the same old things that we've

Dorm dwellers have also voiced fears
that yesterday's leftovers are made in-
to stew or some gastronomic concoction
served the next day. With a shake of her
head, Morris disputed this, "That's not
true, every meal is made from scrat-
ch."
WHOLE LEFTOVERS are often left
out on hot carts for students.
"We try to use leftovers whenever
possible rather than throwing food
away," said Christoph, and he said that
nothing was disguised.
The food service directors said that to
keep food costs down, leftovers are kept
to a minimum. The said estimates of
how many students eat a specific food
at a particular meal are constantly up-
dated and revised.
Plate waste is an expensive problem,
according to the directors. But on the
survey, 29 to 45 per cent of the respon-
dents claimed they eat almost
everything on their plates. While many
students feel they deserve membership
in the "clean plate club" they typically
point out that "other people" throw
away food. "They don't want to blame
themselves," said Christoph.

Whenever someone gets sick, they
blame it on the food, the directors ob-
served. But the last case of food
poisoning traced to dorm food occurred
"sometime in the 50s, it was frozen egg
whites," revealed Tubbs.
Tubbs confirmed that cafeteria food
was not responsible for student
illnesses in South Quad last year. Tubbs
said whenever there is a possibility of
food poisoning, it is thoroughly checked
out. Tubbs said, "It always turns out
that students ate elsewhere or have a
virus."
"We think the quality of food here is
quite high. We try to maintain high
standards in the foods we select to ser-
ve," said Tubbs. But the directors
agreed, "We can't compete with
mothers."
Food service isn't threatening
motherhood but it seems they are
trying. Christoph claimed, "We haven't
had a student die of malnutrition yet."


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(Continued from Page f)
dark hair pulled tightly back into a bun,
she presides over the steamy counter
dishing up comments, smiles and
scowls along with the entree.
With pretended outrage Otis asks a
student who preferred the chicken,
"What's wrong with the fish?" To the
delight of students she tells them, "You
keep quiet."
WHEN STUDENTS complain about
the food, she said, "I tell them to go eat
downtown or I tell them they don't have
to eat." Otis says she doesn't take much
criticism, "I just serve it."
Mosher-Jordan residents realize the
benefits of being in Otis' good graces
and they make a great show of but-
tering her up. Although Otis won't ad-
mit to serving her favorite students bet-
ter portions, "I look them over and I
give some of them small ones and some
of them big," she explained noncom-
mitally.
"I always get the fatty meat," com-
plained one freshman. His friend
defended Otis with "That's just because
you're skinny."
OTIS KEEPS a scrapbook of the
students who are her friends. Sanford,
at first, jokingly referred to it as her
hate book but later admitted, "It's a
privilege to make the book." Over the
years Otis has built up a large collec-
tion of photographs and some past
dorm residents still send her cards.
"I'm scared to death of her per-
sonally," volunteered Emily Mc-
Murray. "She hates me." But the other
woman at the table agreed that under
her gruff exterior Otis is a lot of fun.
"When she wants to she can be really
nice," said Alicia Berger. Evidently a
"You're welcome" from the often-gruff
Otis is a noteworthy occasion.
ONE STUDENT commented, "She's
got a surly temper," but another
quickly contradicted him, "You've got
to understand Otis." Berger said
"People complain about her but I think
they really like her.
When the flow of students eases up
Otis sometimes hums and sways and
waves her serving tongs. Meanwhile,
the student servers take advantage of
every opportunity and tease, "Working
with Otis can be a pain in the neck."
Otis responds by doubling up with
laughter and slapping the counter.
One of the student workers jokingly
goaded her, "Otis, You're an old lady !"
"I told you I was 92 but you didn't
believe me," chuckled the 59-year-old
server.
ARE YOU LETTING
CLASSES GET TO
You?

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