Grace Fung | Student Life

Students can buy meals from L’Chaim, the kosher food station in Bear’s Den.

College Prowler ranked Washington University’s kosher offerings the best of any school in the nation.

The ranking was compiled through student surveys filled out on the college search engine’s website.

“I think [the kosher program] is great,” sophomore Mil Dranoff said. “I usually have to eat vegetarian to keep kosher, but here I [can] eat meat because I know if it’s kosher.”

Bon Appétit began its kosher offerings on campus about 10 years ago before majorly expanding them in 2009, Paul Schimmele, assistant to the director of operations for Dining Services, said.

“I am very pleased with the ranking,” he said.

The L’Chaim station in Bear’s Den provides hot kosher food to students Sunday through Thursday. Kosher items are also provided as grab-n-go options in various dining halls around the University.

“In the South 40, there is a facility we renovated to have separate meat and diary kitchens,” Resident District Manager Nadeem Siddiqui said. “[Our kosher program] serves as a model for the nation.”

Dining Services also collaborates on kosher options with campus Hillel.

“I think a lot of our success comes from working with students directly,” Jill Duncan, director of marketing, said. “We provide some of the Shabbat dinners [for the Hillel] and get feedback from them.”

Duncan noted that kosher program is also hugely successful with non-Jewish students.

“Students participate in the kosher program because they enjoy the food, not necessarily because of dietary restrictions,” she said.

Editor’s note: The online version of this article originally said that L’Chaim was open Monday through Thursday when it is in fact open Sunday through Thursday. Student Life regrets the error.

The app features “Menus” and “Nutrition” functions that pull real-time data from FoodPro, the service Dining Services uses for its online information. It also has a map showing locations of all the dining facilities on campus.

Fifth year engineering student Shubho Sadhu and senior Oliver Jones worked together to develop the app, which is now available for free on the Apple App Store.

Jill Duncan, director of marketing for dining services, believes that the mobile app will make dining information more easily accessible to students.

“Students really do use mobile devices for everything they do in their lives, so now we’re a part of that. And a student doesn’t have to sit down and look at a computer anymore. You can look at it no matter where you’re at. It’s really a cool thing,” Duncan said.

Sadhu and Jones began developing the iPhone app in fall of 2010 for a project in a computer science class that focuses on iOS software development.

“We just knew people had expressed a demand for an app like this, and we thought it would be feasible just because the infrastructure already existed on Dining Services’ website, so we thought, ‘Hey why not? We’ve got to do something.’ We thought it would be useful,” Jones said.

Sadhu also serves as a member of the Dining Services Advisory Committee and worked closely with Dining Services to develop the app.

“We had Dining Services’ support from the get-go. They’re good to work with, one of the more responsive departments here,” he said.

Duncan recently showed off the app at a conference she attended on technology in university dining services.

“From the Bon Appétit staff side, we were just amazed at the process that they’ve gone through. I think it’s been a really great partnership on our side and then going through a lot of clean up and finding a lot of things that we needed to focus on so that their app could actually work,” Duncan said.

She believes the app has helped to put the University’s Dining Services on the cutting edge technologically compared to other universities.

“I don’t think there are that many schools out there doing this, and now we’re on board with the schools that are. And I think it’s important for the students who want to know what they’re eating,” Duncan said.

The University published the app under the guidance of the Mobile Computing Initiative, which helps members of the University community develop apps for mobile and web devices.

WUSTL Dining is the second app to go through a full process of review and approval and be made available on the App Store. A course listings app called Course Monkey, developed by graduate Dan Brewster, became available earlier this year.

In the future, Sadhu and Jones hope to expand and improve upon the app by providing real-time operating hours information for each of the dining locations around campus, corresponding to a color code on the current “Map” feature.

They also hope to eventually add a WebFood feature to the app, which is not possible with WebFood’s current Flash-based configuration.

Versions of the app for Android and Windows Mobile operating systems are currently in beta and under review. They are expected to become available for download in their respective app stores by the end of the school year.

Duncan hopes the nutrition information available on the app will help students make healthier choices and know what they are eating.

“If we can provide that information for people to make clear choices for themselves, I think that’s really important,” she said.

Dining Services is looking to renovate the Village Dining area for several reasons. According to Dining Services Manager Paul Schimmele, plans for Village dining renovations began when Dining Services decided it wanted to install a dishwasher in the cafeteria.

Dining Services began to investigate student opinion on the facility, and realized that student concerns required more renovation than just creating space for a dishwasher.

Based on student opinions, Dining Services is going to attempt to make the grill and stir fry stations larger, to allow for quicker service.

The renovation will also include work on the actual dining area to make it more communal.

According to Schimmele, the layout of the dining room in the Village is not conducive to community building.

Although Dining Services told Student Life last year that it hoped to complete a portion of the work over the summer, Schimmele said that the plans had not progressed far enough to commence the construction.

He said that it would not make sense for the University to start construction before the plans were completely fleshed out.

“It was a smart move for the University to take a step back to really review the big picture of the project…to build a program that will work for five to 10 years down the road,” said Nadeem Siddiqui, Bon Appetit Resident District Manager.

The University ran into an issue, which was that there is no room in the facility to install a dishwasher.

“We want to be more sustainable, that’s where it began, but we have to work within the confines of the footprint we have,” said Schimmele. According to Schimmele, a dishwasher would make the facility more sustainable, because it would cut down on the use of disposable containers.

The University is planning on holding off on the construction plans until the summer to avoid inconveniencing patrons of the facility.

“I think it’s better to do the construction over the summer,” senior Brittany Simone said. “I don’t think it’s terrible; I think it could use some work, but it’s not urgent and I don’t think it’s worth disrupting everyone’s living schedules over it.

Still, some students think the changes are unnecessary.

“I think that the Village has a lot of great elements that other dining facilities on campus don’t offer. All people do at Wash. U. is complain; we have to be happy with what we have,” junior Maanasa Bandla said.

Matt Mitgang | Student Life

A newly installed trash compacter sits idly in Lopata Gallery. The machines were installed in the Gallery and Whispers this week.

The compactors, which were designed by a Washington University alumnus, are meant to decrease the volume of the University’s trash.

According to Nadeem Siddiqui, resident district manager of Bon Appétit, the machines will take what was previously 25 bags worth of garbage in a day, and will compact it into about two bags worth, saving the university 23 bags.

Siddiqui said that the University hopes that the compactors will be more sustainable.

In addition to the reduction in the number of garbage bags, Siddiqui also says that the compactor may enable the University to make fewer trips to remove waste from campus.

Although there are only two of the compactors on campus now, Siddiqui says that there may be more next year, if they pass the pilot phase.

Siddiqui and Director of Operations and Executive Chef David Murphy said that they will have to make sure that the compactors can stand up to the amount of garbage that students throw out.

“It makes sense in theory but we are seeing if the machines can work in high volume,” Murphy said.

According to Siddiqui, the compactors will only use eight dollars worth of energy each year.

Still, the university is not completely sure of the environmental impact of the compactors.

“The goal is to reduce packaging going into the landfill. We think it is supposed to be 25 to two, but we want to see if it works,” Siddiqui said.

Martin Witchger, a student consultant at the Interdisciplinary Environmental Clinic at the University, thinks the compactors will augment the University’s already-strong recycling program.

“I just noticed them a couple of days ago. It makes a lot of sense. I appreciate that Wash. U. is trying to reduce trash. We have a great recycling system. Wash. U. does try to do a lot, and it’s great that they are continuing to try to be more sustainable,” Witchger said.

Not all students see the benefit of the compactors.

“The issue with these trash compactors is we are not addressing the root cause of our waste problem,” Peter Murray, former president of Green Action, said. “We’re not decreasing any of the waste that we produce, we’re simply putting it in less bags. So if we were really serious about getting to the root of our waste problem, we’d look at the packaging things come in and other things like that. We’re obscuring our actual consumption by squishing it into less and less bags.”

Although there are only garbage compactors at present, Murray hopes that if the project continues beyond its pilot phase, there will also be recycling compactors.

Washington University food provider Bon Appétit’s website lists 10 reasons why I should always buy local, and the company places signs on campus displaying local sources of the food we eat here. The company claims that buying locally grown food strengthens communities, helps family farmers and creates a better future, among other things. I agree that local produce can oftentimes taste better, and I’m willing to pay more for the value. Serious problems arise though when consumers are forced to pay more for equal or lower quality products simply because it’s local. Bon Appétit’s “buy local” campaign fails to address the serious economic consequences of living in a society that only trades with itself.

One of the greatest “buy local” campaigns in human history was the Middle Ages, in which communities were largely isolated from one another. Despite being self-sufficient, the lack of trade forced communities to devote time in an inefficient manner. Communities more suitable for growing crops were unable to trade with communities more suited for raising livestock. Instead, individual societies were limited to what they could produce. As a result, the general standard of living was substantially lower.

In order to achieve a prosperous society, the division of labor must grow outside of the home, the community and the nation. Each household is no longer responsible for growing its own food, and life has improved as a result. Technology has allowed for cheaper clothing, meaning that we no longer have to make our own shirts. By spreading out labor and allowing the most efficient means of production to win out, the standard of living improves dramatically.

The buying local movement is simply asking for an act of charity. If local producers provided a better value, they wouldn’t need to ask me to buy local; their product would speak for itself. Instead of trying to isolate their customers into buying local products, producers should seek to expand their consumer base into far-reaching communities. The liberalization of trade creates benefits for both parties, allowing consumers to obtain maximum value while encouraging efficient means of production.

Consumers rarely purchase on price alone, instead buying on multiple rational or irrational impulses. Local businesses that provide better value than their competitors will always find a place in the local and global economy. However, local businesses that have lost out to more efficient businesses should adjust. Coercing consumers to buy local products leads to a sub-optimal society and inhibits the division of labor.

Bon Appétit and all other businesses should not be praised for buying local. The only moral decision that Bon Appétit should make is how to provide the best value to Washington University students, not how to support inefficient businesses. The origins of a product shouldn’t factor into decision-making as much as a consumer should try to maximize their value. By doing so, the consumer rewards quality businesses, leading to a higher standard of living and a more prosperous economy.

The pair made the unsubstantiated claim that “Bear Deliveries…will not have any impact on the current or future prices by [sic] Bon Appétit,” while simultaneously asserting that the “cost of the program is part-time employee wages.” Of course, we all know that people don’t work for free, so if the new labor costs are not to be factored into prices, perhaps they will be taken from the salaries of current employees, or perhaps employees will be forced to take on the additional task of making deliveries without a pay increase. Either solution seems incredibly unfair to the employees, who already work in an overcrowded setting for long hours, and to students, who face long lines even without being cut in front of by online orders.

Taub and Zipkin seem to say that they will make all deliveries themselves, and yet their vision includes serving students “who have straight classes” and setting up “pickup locations.” Notwithstanding the fact that people who have class will not be on the South 40 and that we already have an ideal “pickup location” in Bear’s Den, Taub and Zipkin cannot seriously expect to organize and perform all these services themselves. Yet, they provide no explanation of how these services might operate.

Finally, Taub and Zipkin reveal that part of their plan concerns an increase in Bon Appétit’s profit. Personally, I’m far more concerned about the salaries and responsibilities of Wash. U. employees, which might be in jeopardy, than I am about the back end of a multimillion-dollar company.

While their goal of reducing student stress from long waiting times is a good one, Bear Deliveries has yet to disclose the source and effects of its funding or the scope of personnel and services it will provide. Mr. Taub and Mr. Zipkin are welcome to bring food from Bear’s Dem to anyone they like for no charge, but if they intend to create a larger program, their plans should be clearly expressed before Bon Appétit agrees to cooperate further.

Halal food for Muslims is similar to kosher options for Jewish people: Both are guided by regulations about the way the animals are killed. Without Halal options, observant Muslims on campus must eat either fish or vegetarian dishes.

According to Nadeem Siddiqui, resident district manager for Dining Services, the change would not be expensive or demanding.

In order to conform to Halal standards, Dining Services would need to order different meat, use specific pans to avoid cross-contamination and avoid using any alcohol in food preparation.

“I don’t think there’d be major costs, but that’s why were doing some investigation,” Siddiqui said. “We want to make sure our staff is trained, we have the right equipment and there’s the right demand.”

Freshman Nabeel Moon, treasurer of the Muslim Students Association (MSA), estimated that between 70 and 100 people have directly appealed to MSA to seek Halal options, but that many others would be interested.

“Discussions have been happening for the past five years, but they haven’t gone as far as they have right now,” Moon said. “The interest is coming from the MSA and the MSA at the law school.”

The association is working with an organization called STLHalal, which is working to bring Halal meats to the campus of Saint Louis University as well.

MSA is also cooperating with the Diversity Affairs Council to propose a resolution to SU Senate encouraging Dining Services to offer Halal meats.

The association hopes to start offering Halal food in Bear’s Den and The Village, eventually branching out the DUC and Ursa’s if demand is sufficient.

“It’ll be something that they don’t have right now, where the demand will be high,” Moon said. “It won’t just be for Muslims, it’ll be for everyone. There’s no difference in the taste of the food, it’s just that the meat is from a different source.”

Moon added that the introduction of Halal foods would appeal to more than just students.

“It’ll open Bear’s Den to the whole Muslim community in St. Louis, depending on how the food is,” Moon said.

According to Siddiqui, additions to the menu will mostly mean ensuring that they will match student demand and interest.

“We’re trying to make it economical and viable, making sure it follows the need of the Muslim students,” Siddiqui said. “Dining Services tries to look for ways to serve the community in the best way possible.”

Bear Deliveries is a free service for students and will not have any impact on the current or future prices by Bon Appétit. Students can order their food via their WebFood login, and food will be delivered to the students’ building common room.

The program will be instituted after spring break on a trial basis, and we will be running all deliveries personally. The trial period will be on the South 40 only, and will run from Thursdays to Saturdays, for limited nighttime hours.

Bon Appétit earns profit by selling their product: tasty and healthy locally made food. By including this service for free, they are able to increase the competitiveness of their product relative to Domino’s, food from restaurants on the Delmar Loop, and other dining options. Bon Appétit also looks forward to using this service to raise awareness of WebFood. The only cost of the program is part-time employees’ wages.

Students at Washington University are often overloaded with activities, homework, exams and assignments. We are an overloaded bunch, but we would not have it any other way. Our service aims to relieve some of the stresses of spending an hour getting food. We hope to someday serve students who have straight classes and organize pickup locations for students who are disabled (temporarily or permanently). Bear Deliveries offers a great deal of convenience and freedom for students. Every service will have its effects on students, but it is for the individual customers to decide what that will be. If students are afraid of becoming alienated, they can simply not order the food through Bear Deliveries. We believe this will assist a great many students, and those who are wary of it may simply go to South 40 House, order pickup or use one of their many other options.

Having often wished my Sunday brunch would make its way to my room on command, I completely empathize with Jordan Zipkin and Phillip Taub for their efforts to make this fantasy a reality. However, it is important to understand the consequences of this policy.

First, the Student Life article specifies that the delivery service will be free of charge. Clearly, the program will cost money to implement. Bon Appétit will need to pay for delivery personnel labor— a huge cost. Without implementing a delivery fee, Bon Appétit will have to recoup this cost somehow, most likely by raising the price of all meals for everyone, whether or not you get food delivered.

Given the already rising cost of food in the dining hall and tuition costs in general, I doubt students would want the price to go up even more just for the option of door-to-door delivery. With the “Grab-a-bite” meal plan, which almost all upperclassmen choose to purchase, students receive 2,272 meal points for $3,498, or one meal point for $1.54. While I understand that Bon Appétit has high fixed costs that they must cover, I see no reason to increase the price of food for such an unnecessary service.

In addition, this service would only be available to students living on the South 40. Given the recent construction and renovations to the dining hall on the South 40, I see no reason to allocate more money toward making that dining hall more unnecessarily luxurious. There is no reason students cannot walk five minutes to Bear’s Den to get food. Not only would the new program encourage laziness by hand delivering food to the door, but students would lose the social aspect of eating with their peers. After the University spent a lot of money over two years creating the beautiful new dining area, it would be shame to see all that money go to waste when students decide to have food delivered to their rooms.

If there is money to be spent on improving the quality of the dining halls, there are much better ways to do so. On main campus during the day, the DUC, Subway, Whispers and Holmes Lounge nearly always have long lines. At the Village Dining Hall, basic menu items, like grilled vegetables, are frequently out of stock. Funds would be better spent creating a new dining area on main campus, improving existing dining halls by keeping fresh foods in stock, or employing more staff members at existing, crowded dining halls.

I would be truly disappointed to see such a program implemented free of charge. It would be costly, unnecessary, and increase spoiled behavior and laziness in students. I urge Bon Appétit to explain how such a program would be implemented, and where funding would come from. While I am not completely opposed to a delivery service that includes a delivery fee to cover the additional costs, Bon Appétit could focus the extra time and energy on improving campus dining in more efficient ways.

Sophomores Jordan Zipkin and Philip Taub are working with the Bon Appétit Management Company, which operates the campus eateries on the South 40, to implement a service that allows students to order food online to be delivered directly to their dorm rooms.

The program, called Bear Deliveries, would expand the WebFood program, which currently allows students to place orders online to be picked up at the DUC or Bear’s Den, allowing students to avoid long lines at busy mealtimes.

Taub and Zipkin’s idea is to have students place their orders on WebFood, and instead of having to pick the food up, they would be able to have their meal delivered to any dorm on the South 40, free of charge.

Taub came up with the idea a year ago when he was a freshman.

“I woke up one Saturday morning and thought to myself, ‘Man, wouldn’t it be great if I could have food in my bed right now without having to leave my room?’” Taub said. “I kind of just took that idea and ran with it.”

After joining up with Zipkin, a fellow business school student, the two reached out to administrators, eventually getting the chance to make the idea a reality.

A pilot of the program is scheduled to start after Spring Break with a limited menu of Bear’s Den options and deliveries available for only the South 40 residence halls.

“Our first big expansion will be to expand the options offered to students for delivery to include the whole Bear’s Den menu” Zipkin said. “After that, we hope to expand our deliveries other places like the Village and the art school.”

The two students have been working closely with Nadeem Siddiqui, resident district manager of Bon Appétit at Washington University.

“I think it has to be carefully, logistically managed to ensure that services are excellent and that when the food gets to students, it’s the right order and it’s still hot,” Siddiqui said. “But the idea has tremendous potential.”

Siddiqui has considerable experience collaborating with students. Webfood was originally presented to him by students at Cornell while he managed dining services there. The program has now spread to campuses across the nation.

“I think it’s a great thing when students come with ideas and you can help them implement them,” Siddiqui said.

While Zipkin and Taub haven’t heard of a food delivery system in place at any other universities, they are aware of a service that a lot of schools have called Midnight Cookies, in which students can order fresh-baked cookies to be delivered to their rooms at late hours of the night.

“Kids seem to love Midnight Cookies, so we’re hoping at some point to do something similar,” Taub said.

Members of the freshman class have developed ideas similar to Bear Deliveries, but Bon Appétit chose to work with Zipkin and Taub since they had been working on their project throughout the past year. Zipkin and Taub, however, would like to work with these other students in the future.

“This can’t be a two-man-show forever, and we’re excited to work with them and other people with similar ideas in the future,” Zipkin said.

“It’ll make it easy and convenient for students, and they can use meal points which is another efficiency,” Siddiqui said. “It’s a great idea.”