By
Nobody
Boycott UA Food Services
To the editor,
I am writing to express outrage and disgust at UA Dining Service's decision not to renew their contract with Dawg Days, the hot dog cart vendors that have been supplying students and faculty with food and a smile for eight years. I am also writing to urge students and faculty to boycott all of UA's Dining Services, including the new Nathan's Famous Inc. carts that have replaced Dawg Days, Fiddlee Fig, Louie's Lower Level and Park Student Union. For eight years Dawg Days had provided friendly, personal food service at low prices. They had brought us Coca-Cola on an otherwise Pepsi-ridden campus. They had invested themselves in the university community.
And in return for all this, the university has given them a smack in the face... all the prospect of making a few extra cents on a hot dog and soda. You can bet that these new university-operated vendors, who have no direct interest in their customers, will not make the effort to get to know our names. You can be sure they won't spot you lunch money if you're low. And they certainly won't feel compelled to smile and wave. The university is not just a business, and the students and faculty are not just nameless consumers in a mathematical supply/demand curve. The university is a community, and its members are real people who value the "don't worry about it, you can pay us tomorrow," and the genuine "have a nice day." I urge all the members of this community not to allow the university to get away with this kind of behavior. There are many local businesses that will happily serve you.
Boycott UA Dining Services and send them the message that we will not tolerate such greed and disloyalty in our community!
Zachary Neal
Philosophy senior
Bring back Dawg Daze
To the editor,
Just as nature abhors a vacuum, bureaucracies have the same sentiment towards anything that is run efficiently. A most glaring example of this is the recent takeover of the hot dog carts by the Student Union Food Services. The carts were run quite smoothly and efficiently by the Dawg Daze personnel for the past several years. You could count on a friendly smile, quick, courteous service and a variety of quality of products at an affordable price. This practice came to a screeching halt yesterday.
At approximately 12:30 I approached the cart located directly across from the UA Bookstore at the South side of the Mall and was told that they were out of hot dogs and would not have any more for at least 20 minutes. How could this be? This is lunch time, the time that the majority of people on campus eat.
Upon further investigation I realized that this wasn't the same quietly efficient organization that I had visited so many times in the past, but that there was a New Sheriff in town and he was wearing the badge of the Student Union Food Services
Gone were the smiles and friendly greetings that I normally associated with the carts, gone was the quick service, gone were the variety of items on the menu. Gone were the helpful suggestions of the people who knew the names of many of their customers. I would bet that were I a little short of the required amount that in lieu of hearing, "That's OK honey, just bring it back tomorrow," I would instead walk away from the cart with an empty stomach and a feeling that would require more than a hot dog to sate.
The article in the Wildcat attributed remarks pertaining to the running of the carts to David Gailbreadth, head of Food Services. David must be one of the aforementioned bureaucrats who despise efficiency. He must also hold all of the customers of the carts in unbelievable contempt. While unwilling to provide a list of the new prices he assured us that the prices would be significantly lower. Note that; not just lower, significantly lower.
David: Do you think that we are that stupid? Did you assume that because you said it not a soul would check on the veracity of your statement? Every single price on your paltry menu is higher than those charged by Dawg Daze. So not only do I get less of a choice of items; not only do I lose the congenial greetings; not only do I lose a few familiar faces, I also get the privilege of paying more for it; the privilege of watching an organization that has the efficiency and customer service ideals normally associated with former East Bloc countries, and most important of all, I get the distinct privilege of being lied to at the same time. David, thank you, I am sure that you had my best interests, as well as the best interests of the student body, in mind when you decided to foist an inferior product at an inflated price upon us.
Steve Arnold
Political science senior
