Three hundred dollars. Along with being quite a hefty sum of money in College Kid Land, this monetary amount has become the focus of an alarmingly widespread on-campus myth about Campus Auxiliary Services.
“Guys, CAS charges us 300 extra bucks on our meal plan, so we should steal $300 worth of food!” Or, while snickering obnoxiously, “I just walked away with all of these vegan nuggets and I don’t care because CAS expects us to steal.”
The funny thing about rumors on a campus as small as Geneseo’s is that most of the students think that the faculty and staff have no idea of what’s going on. I hate to break it to you, fellow students, but they’re on to us! I have had the opportunity to talk with several CAS representatives this semester, and they have all agreed on two things: Yes, they know that many of us think it is totally justified and acceptable to steal $300 of CAS food per semester, and no, our reasoning has no basis in fact whatsoever.
In fact, if we all stole $300 worth of stuff from CAS, the company would go belly up faster than local coffee shops in the shadow of a brand spankin’ new Starbucks. That extra money is charged to cover the expenses associated with the all-you-care-to-eat dining centers; most people eat more than $7 worth of food at upstairs Letchworth and Red Jacket dining halls. Scandalous, right?
It disturbs me that so many smart Geneseo students are so quick to justify the five finger discount on campus, because stealing is never acceptable. I think what this is telling CAS, in addition to “some 19 year olds are easily influenced, sneaky and not always the brightest,” is that something needs to be done to justify the ridiculous prices students find in eateries on campus. $4.99 for four dumplings? $6.25 for a sandwich? Maybe if you’re out to lunch at a restaurant, but not acceptable for everyday consumption on a $12-per-day budget. An attempt at competitiveness would be greatly appreciated.
That grievance addressed, I think that, overall, CAS is doing a spectacular job at being receptive to student ideas, implementing changes as effectively as possible and improving the general quality of food on campus. Sushi? Yes. New Geneseo University Store sandwiches? Very yes. All-you-care-to-eat pierogies? In love. The vegan and vegetarian options are becoming mainstream, the new beverage contract is working out wonderfully and I can say without a doubt that this is by far my most stomach-satisfying semester on campus. We also can’t forget that CAS goes out of its way to employ students, something that should not be taken for granted in this economy.
More importantly, I have been able to meet with several of the individuals in charge of CAS this semester and as a result, I have completely renewed faith that they have nothing but good intentions and open minds. Will I still whine about discolored celery? Always. But underneath the layers of weird vegetable residue, CAS really does deserve our respect.