Last spring, the Bellarmine Cafe made the transition from serving pizza on a weekly basis, every Friday, to having pizza as a near everyday option. Pizza being a favorite among many, the change was meant to give more choice to students. As students returned to the campus, the pizza remained consistent but opinions began to differ.
When the change was initially introduced, students were ecstatic. As senior Zane Mason said, “You know, at the start I liked it because, you know, who doesn’t like pizza.” As Mason puts simply: “It’s getting old every single day, it’s supposed to be a treat that someone looks forward to,” referencing his previously cherished Pizza Fridays.
Pizza initially acted as a sort of fail-safe, a friend to lean on, a shoulder to cry on, however over-time, it’s possible its prestige has started to crumble. Owen Schneller, one of the many freshmen who have only seen pizza in its current form, stated, “It’s not bad, it’s like a last resort.” A sentiment that only seems to increase in popularity.
After purchasing his first slice of the semester, junior George Barcus said “It could have some improvements … it could be better.” “I don’t think it should be everyday, it should be once or twice a week.”
As growing distaste rises, Eli Peairs, senior at Bellarmine and frequent pizza enthusiast, offered his two cents; claiming, “The first thing that I noticed with the new pizzas is that the crust is cardboard-esque,” arguing as an opponent to the recent trend in pie.
In a concise interview, Dana Diven, our Food Service Director at campus, gave full transparency toward the situation, providing insight on the change itself and offering a professional perspective. When Diven came to Bellarmine nearly 11 months ago, she knew she wanted change. She wanted to bring a fresher, more time efficient model to our cafe where the staff serve the students. She looked to Charles Wright Academy for inspiration, incorporating their 3-meal system with a static pizza option.
Addressing the concern of quality, Diven stated “Everything is cooked very, very fresh. Nothing sits around in hot boxes, so we do the very best we can to make stuff fresh. Pizza comes straight out of the oven.” Whenever the frequency of pizza came into question, Diven pointed out “they’re still eating it everyday,” the mystifying element of the debacle.
All prior interview participants, whether providing negative or positive feedback, had chosen pizza as a lunch item. Of those who complained, none filed requests or comments. The rising silent dissent highlights the root problem in our cafe: the disconnect between our food service and students.
According to Diven, student engagement with selection requests has significantly decreased as the academic year commenced. “We have new students, students who don’t know,” Diven explained. Encouraging participation, she reassured: “We really do listen.”
Providing a possible alternative approach, Diven added “While I personally think that surveys work well for other schools, we are not able to do those.” Surveys could provide our cafe with direct, numerical answers to student dissatisfaction, whether it be from allergies, food, or the lines, their goal is to improve it for the student body.
Assured that the pizza is of top standard, dissatisfied students can either advocate for change through selection requests, or stay silent and wait for a more efficient method, which may never come.
