VCU goes online with food ordering

“Why wait in line? Go online!,” is the slogan for VCU’s Webfood program. Webfood is a Internet-based way for students to now order their food online instead of placing an order in person and then waiting for it to be cooked.
The new service started in March and offers a small variety of foods at three locations on campus. The locations include Market 810-2-Go at Shafer and Hideaway Café and Hideaway Café Meal Exchange at Hunton Hall.
Webfood is available for anyone with a VCU dining services plan, RamBucks or a major credit card. Jean Clark, VCU dining services manager, said VCU implemented the program because it saves a lot of time for students and the dining service’s staff.
“Webfood is an added time savings convenience to increase the efficiency of ordering a menu item from remote locations for dining patrons,” said Clark.
Each location offers a different menu. At Market 810-2-Go, menu items include two pounds of wings with a choice of ranch or blue cheese dressing and a 16-inch pizza. Each item equals two swipes from a student’s meal plan.
From Hideaway Café a patron can also order a 16-inch pizza or he or she can build his or her own sandwich. Bread, meat, cheese and condiments can be chosen from the customer at his or her computer desk.
The Hideaway Café’ Meal Exchange has the largest menu. Patrons can also order a pizza or wings, but in addition, a half sandwich with a choice of a side salad or soup, fruit and cookies are available for one swipe.
The menu for Webfood is limited. Some students wish that the program would offer other food items such as broccoli, pasta, or hamburgers.
Lauren Lewis, a VCU sophomore, has a special diet in which she cannot consume flour products. She says that Webfood does not cater to the needs of every student.
“No, I would not use this service because I can only eat certain food that Shafer does not offer,” said Lewis.
Clark says there is an opportunity for an expansion to the food choices in the program.
Customers can access this new commodity by simply visiting http://www.vcuwebfood.com/. Customers can also create an account to save time in the ordering process.
Crystal Easter, a VCU sophomore, says she was unaware of the service but will use it since she now knows about it.
“It saves time instead of waiting,” said Easter. “I would use the service because I’ve ordered wings before and this service would help impatient people.”
Webfood is under The CBORD Group company, which promotes Webfood as a faster service for students, as well as increasing revenue and optimizing the efficiency of food preparation.
However Clark does have some concerns about the disadvantages of the software.
“My worry is technology failure if the system is down,” said Clark.
The program is operable at Hunton Hall from 7:30 a.m to 6:30 p.m Monday through Thursday and till 1:30 p.m. on Fridays. Market 810-2-Go is available from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 PM Monday through Thursday and till 8:30 p.m. on Fridays. Market 810-2-Go is also open on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. All locations are closed on Sundays.
Clark said the number of orders that have been placed have been limited.
“The program will not be retained because of low participation and perhaps expanded into other retail locations,” said Clark.
Webfood is currently being offered at other universities throughout the country including University of Maryland, University of SanFransico and University of Colorado. Old Dominion University is also planning to offer this service in the near future.

Photo courtesy of The CBORD Group, Inc Web site

Peanut butter lovers go astray

Weak and disoriented was how Ronald Simpson felt during a sudden attack to his body about three weeks ago. He is one of many affected by the salmonella contamination in the Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter.
The sickness overtook him fast and it was not until later the next day he knew what occurred.
“I saw about the peanut butter on the news,” said Simpson. “Then I realized I had the same brand peanut butter and I checked the serial numbers.”
Simpson ate three slices of bread with just the Peter Pan peanut butter on it. After spending the entire day not being able to control his vomit and bowel movements, he was fine the next day.
FDA pulled ConAgra product Peter Pan peanut butter from store shelves nationwide after determining it to be the cause of mass salmonella poisoning. A February 14th press release informed the public of the Peter Pan peanut butter’s recall.
FDA and state/local officials are collaboratively conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the contamination.
On a local level, Virginia Commonwealth University students are experiencing a small taste of this nationwide scare.
Aramark Food Services is a catering and dining company which services the VCU student body. After hearing about the salmonella contamination many have wondered what Aramark is doing to reduce the chance of VCU students getting sick.
The answer is nothing.
According to an anonymous Aramark employee, the company has no way of knowing whether their peanut butter is contaminated. As a result, they’ve chosen to continue using the same peanut butter and have not reduced the amount served to students.
“What we do,” says anonymous Aramark employee, “we just are very strict and very forceful about the way people handle food. When a product gets to us we have no way of knowing. We assume that the product is okay.”
Anonymous source says responsibility ultimately lies with the factory producing the product. However, students are more worried about Shafer Court, VCU’s dining facility, and how employees handle food.
While some students are concerned about the recent recall others feel less affected. VCU sophomore Jobarie Townsend is one of many who doesn’t eat peanut butter and consequently disregarded the warnings
“Depending on how much peanut butter you eat it would be a concern to others,” said Townsend. “I think it’s something that needs to be taken care of but it doesn’t really affect me personally.”
Peanut butter recall has cost ConAgra major financial losses estimated to range from $50 to 60 million.
Customers are also taking a loss. Simpson is a peanut lover but has not eaten peanut butter since the attack.
“I love peanut butter on a slice of bread,” said Simpson. “I’m kind of skeptical on buying more peanut butter.”

Thomas Hetman Profile

Thomas Hetman still recalls the summer he spent running for his life. A trip through national parks on the West Coast proved to be more than he could bear.
Hetman’s vacation started last summer in the casino city of Las Vegas where he traveled with his friend and girlfriend. From there he went through Idaho, the Redwood National Park, and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park to do what he likes best: hiking. Hetman said that hiking has been a challenge for him, but a bigger challenge awaited him in the Sequoia National Park.
As he and his friends were setting up their camp, a 350-pound black bear appeared, ready to tear it all down. Joshua Thompson, Hetman’s friend, was more concerned about taking pictures while Hetman was busy running for his life.
“Thomas was so scared of that bear,” said Thompson. “It wasn’t even after us; it was on our car and food.”
That night’s camping trip ended with everyone in a hotel room safe from harm and bears.
Hetman says he enjoys camping because it is challenging.
“It is a way for me to be competitive with myself,” said Hetman. “I also enjoy the scenery.”
Hetman, 24, is a thrill seeking senior from Fredericksburg. Hetman began hiking at a young age and was a member of the Eagle Scouts. In high school Hetman says he became a devout and intense player of football. He first picked up this pastime in the fourth grade which was a sport he played until his freshmen year in college. Hetman’s athletic prowess have earned him titles such as Offense Lineman of the Year, All District Center, and Best Defensive Player of the Year.
After high school, Hetman attended Salisbury University in Maryland. There he studied engineering. After one semester he realized that he disliked football’s grueling schedule and the out-of-state tuition fees.
“The major factor was that I hated getting up early in the morning,” said Hetman. “It was not that rewarding. I had to go to tape sessions, practice and then class. I had no free time.”
He then transferred to Old Dominion University in Norfolk in the spring of 2002.
However, after another semester he realized that ODU was not for him either.
“I had bad experiences,” said Hetman. “It was too violent and unsafe there.”
Hetman then decided to try a slower pace of education at a community college in his hometown. He enrolled at Germanna Community College where he studied math. But in the spring of 2006, Hetman transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond to study print journalism. The move to Richmond was prompted by visiting the campus earlier that year with some of his friends. He discovered that VCU was somewhere he could settle down and get an education.
But how does a student who has a love for math declare a major in print journalism where writing is the emphasis?
At the community college he received encouragement from one of his professors.
“I can’t remember his name but he told me I should try writing more often,” said Hetman. And so he did.
Hetman says that writing is a broad field. “It is my only outlet of expression,” said Hetman. Hetman would like a career that combines journalism and hiking. He would like to write for Backpacker Magazine, a magazine devoted to hiking, or write for a human rights organization. Hetman is still learning the process of writing and struggles with commas and other mechanics of writing. With more practice and a possible internship he hopes to solve this problem.
When not deliberating colons and semicolons, Hetman enjoys playing cards, working out, reading, and having a few beers with his buddies. Thompson, a manager and bartender in Fredericksburg, describes Hetman as loyal.
Danielle Emerson, 25, has known Hetman for four years and is his current girlfriend of two years. Emerson said she could not describe Hetman in one word.
“No one word would give him justice,” said Emerson a VCU senior. “He is kind hearted, hilarious, great, well-rounded and loyal.”
Hetman currently works as a bartender at Buffalo Wild Wings serving martinis and Long Island Iced Teas.
“I hope to take it easy this semester since it is one of my less challenging semesters at VCU,” said Hetman.

Don Imus and the Double Standard

On April 4 Don Imus, host of a MSNBC radio show, created an uproar in the media and in the world. The comment he made referring to the Rutgers women basketball team brought attention to a double standard that has existed in the music world for almost three decades. “Nappy-headed hos” was the phrase that cost Imus his job and his reputation.
After the outburst celebrities have responded to Imus. Rev. Al Sharpton demanded an apology from Imus and rappers like Snoop Dogg explained why the term “ho” is expectable in the rap community.
Snoop Dog made his statement on the Hannity & Colmes news show on Fox News. Snoop Dogg said:
“It’s a completely different scenario, rappers are not talking about no collegiate girls who have made it to the next level in education and sports. We’re talking about hos that’s in the hood that ain’t doing (bleep) that’s trying to get a (bleep’s) money. These are two separate things.
“First of all, we ain’t no old-ass white man that sit up on MSNBC going hard on black girls. We are rappers that have these songs coming from our minds and our souls that are relevant to what we feel. I will not let them (bleepers) say we in the same league as him.”
I think there is definitely a double standard in the black community. Rappers defame and demean black women every day in what Snoop Dog claims to be “songs coming from our hearts”. They call black women hos, bitches, sluts, whores, and anything else under the sun. But this is okay. NOT!!! How can the black community say it is acceptable for blacks to say it, but if another race murmurs it the comment made is the ultimate sin.
When situations like these arise, the black community is too sensitive to verbal abuse and too hypocritical. Imus naturally thought that it was OK to make that remark simply because he hears it everyday on the radio and television.
However, I do believe that his comment was wrong and unnecessary. But it also was taken too far. Imus lost his job and probably will never acquire a career in the media business again.
Deirde Imus, Imus’ wife, stated that the hate mail that is being sent to the girls must stop.
But when is society going to erase this double standard? My guess would be never. The rap business is making too much money to change it characteristics to honor females.
Although the situation is over considering the Rutgers’ coach C. Vivian Stringer has accepted the apology from Imus, the comment will not be forgotten.

Photo courtesy from Don Imus WFAN Pediatric Center for Tomorrows Children

Students bite off more than they can chew

Your eyes may be bigger than your stomach when you enter VCU’s dining facility Shafer Court for breakfast, lunch or dinner. But who can resist piling food on your plate when you have food choices ranging from lobster, beef ribs and sushi.
On the second floor of Shafer, also called Market 810, students, guests, faculty and staff can choose as much food as they want. Because of this option, 1,100 pounds of food is thrown away weekly.
“Take all you want, eat all you take,” is a new motto issued by VCU Dining Services to help reduce the amount of food wasted in Market 810. Pam Neff, resident manager of ARAMARK, says the motto is like a friendly reminder.
“Guests may take all they want but we simply ask not to waste food,” said Neff.
ARAMARK is the food supplier for VCU. Each day VCU receives a new shipment of food that feeds over 5,000 students daily. ARAMARK also serves over 400 academic institutes including Old Dominion University and The College of William and Mary.
An ARAMARK employee and Shafer manager who wished to remain anonymous says he has worked at three other universities but the amount of food wasted at VCU is enormous.
“The kids at this university waste so much food it is unbelievable,” said the anonymous source. However, Neff says the budget for food is in line with other schools.

One reason students spend so much time in Shafer is because of its buffet-style food service. The facility is an award winning design set up as a marketplace with “mini-restaurants.”
Any guest can start his or her meal with a salad, get a main course, and top it off with dessert on any given day in Shafer. There is no limit.
“It all looks so good so you have to take a little bit of everything,” said the ARAMARK employee.
Jobarie Townsend, a VCU sophomore, agrees with the ARAMARK employee. Townsend justifies his amount of consuming food because of the buffet style option. “It’s commonly a tradition at a buffet style place that no one cares to eat all their food,” said Townsend.
Some students try to obey the Shafer motto and throw away as little as possible. Ja’Nel Edens, a VCU freshman, says the fancy food presentations don’t tempt her take more than she can eat.
“Most of the time I do eat all my food,” says Edens. “I try to take as much food that I am going to eat.”
Neff says another reason that food is thrown away on such a large scale is because students tend to take all the food they want at one time to reduce excessive walking in the crowded facility.
“Students need to do a better job making selections instead of taking everything all at once,” said Neff. “Students tend to fill up on food from the servers and then by the time they can get to all the food on their tray, it is cold.”
One option to reduce the waste is to eliminate buffet style serving and allow employees to portion the meal for each customer. Market 810 already practices this option on a small scale under their Upper Cuts Program. This program allows students to swipe extra for finer choices of food such as crab legs and lamb kabobs. This upper class cuisine is hand served by the chef. However Market 810 would not be able to hand feed each customer considering the large number of people it serves daily.
Neff says that she believes that guests prefer to serve themselves the amount that they desire. Students do not like the idea of having their meals that they pay anywhere from $1,600 to $185 a semester rationed for them.
“I wouldn’t like that [rationed food] because we are already use to getting our own food,” said Edens.
The ARAMARK employee says that it would not be economical or time wise to feed each customer individually.
Currently ARAMARK and VCU do not donate any foods that were not used in Market 810 to homeless shelters in the Richmond area.
Although large amounts of food is wasted, students are paying the price, literally.
“They pay for it, so they are entitled,” said the ARAMARK employee.