Ellington

“Decent” and “repetitive” are words UW freshman David Cannon used to describe the food at UW dining halls.

The Resident Hall Student Association (RHSA) and Advocacy Council for Tomorrow (ACT) welcomed such comments with the hopes of promoting communication between dining hall chefs, administration, and students at a forum last Thursday.

“I really want to hear what students want,” said Kathy Hanken, general manager and executive chef of the Eleven 01 Café. “I can only be as good as the feedback I receive.”

Unlike many other universities and programs that hire outside companies such as Sodexo to run their dining halls, the UW’s Housing & Food Services (HFS) is an in-house dining service that operates as an independent entity, said RHSA president Nathaniel Block.

Block, a UW sophomore, said “UW dining services and students have a strong partnership because HFS staff are open to feedback and willing to work with students.”

During the event at Eleven 01 Café, students sampled HFS food options, such as Pagliacci breadsticks, blue cheese quiche, and pesto pasta while discussing their experiences so far at the UW dining halls.

Although HFS offers a rotating menu with regional and international dishes, a common point of dissatisfaction among residents is the lack of variety.

“I like the food, but it gets a little repetitive,” a UW freshman said. “The options are limited, and if there is nothing I like, I just end up eating pizza.”

He also said he hoped for more nutritional options — in particular, meat dishes.

“Although [Eleven 01 Café] has steak night, there is rarely just straight meat. I wish there were dishes that were simple and healthy, like just chicken breast and vegetables,” he said.

The price of food was also a common complaint among students.

“Since I started living in the dorms, prices have gone up from previous years,” said Fernan Pesion, a UW junior and resident of Haggett Hall. “Sometimes the portions just feel too small for the price that I’m paying.”

Yet, like many other students who live in the residence halls, Pasion has continued to live on campus because the convenience outweighs other concerns.

Hanken, who has worked with HFS for 10 years, has made it a major goal to make the student dining experience as convenient as possible.

“My job is to find out what [students] want so they don’t have to worry about eating and they can focus on the school and social aspects of their time [at the UW],” she said.

Important changes HFS has made include a push for sustainability ­— with implementation of composting and use of locally sourced products — and careful consideration for those with dietary restrictions.

As someone who has celiac disease, Hanken prides herself in being the advocate for introducing gluten-free options at the dining halls.

UW freshman Sarah Priddy, who is also allergic to gluten, said, “There is a good amount of allergen options. … I appreciate that they have made gluten-free readily available on campus.”

This personalization of the UW dining experience is the result of close collaboration between students and HFS administration.

“Every year there are different students, so there are different preferences and needs,” Hanken said.

Conveying student needs to the administration to create a better residence hall experience has been the motivating goal for RHSA. As RHSA president, Block said he hoped “to make the [residence] hall a home for every student.”

Reach reporter Sandi Halimuddin at news@dailyuw.com.