Georgetown University requires its first-year and sophomore residential students to purchase a meal plan that totals over $6,000 a year. While the cost is comparable to other universities, the dining options that Georgetown provides are not adequate for its students.
The required “All Access 7” plan includes unlimited swipes at The Table at Leo’s, an all-you-can-eat dining hall, as well as 14 meal exchanges per week, available for use at various on-campus locations; it also includes 200 flex dollars that can be redeemed at quick-service restaurants including Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, and Epicurean and Company.
On weekends, options are limited. Students choose between Royal Jacket–a meal exchange location–Leo’s, Epicurean, and Chick-fil-a, which is only open for lunch.
Students with dietary restrictions have particular difficulty in securing nutritious options. Royal Jacket has one vegan sandwich, and Leo’s offers vegan and allergen-free meals which have proved insufficient for the students that need them.
“Sometimes, there’s so few vegetarian options that I literally just don’t eat,” said sophomore Kat DeMaret.
Rachel Kerr, who is allergic to dairy and eggs, faces similar challenges. “As a person with allergies, it is frustrating how few options Leo’s has,” she said.
In addition to a concerning lack of choices, students have legitimate health concerns regarding their dining options.
The Instagram account @georgetown.hotmess documents examples of undercooked and contaminated food prepared by Hoya Eats. A post on March 24 showed a dead grasshopper in a quinoa salad. On September 7 of last year, a student in quarantine at the Georgetown Hotel was given an expired carton of milk that poured out in clumps. Raw chicken has made numerous appearances in meals served at Leo O’Donovan Hall as well as in wraps offered by Royal Jacket.
“As someone who has severe anxiety, thinking about whether the food I’m eating at every meal is going to give me food poisoning or not is extremely stressful,” said Eamon Walsh, a sophomore.
Georgetown has an obligation to provide residential students with edible meals, especially since the All Access 7 dining plan is required. The university should make a renewed commitment to food safety and invest in increased staff that would allow for meal exchange locations to remain open on the weekends, giving all students, not just those with dietary restrictions, increased freedom to eat healthily in the manner that best works for them.
