photo by Matt Nemeth
New Food Director Doug Hochhauser explains to the United Student Government (USG)  why changes are happening in the Lawrence Hall Dining Room and the Point Café. Students now have a limited menu on what they can use for a meal exchange and the hours they can use it.
 

The new hours and removal of breakfast from the meal exchange times are just a few of the changes that have been made to the Point Café that has many students upset and confused.

Saafir Maddox stood in line for 20 minutes at the Point Café recently, but then left because he did not see getting his food anytime soon.

New rules at the Café forced a manager at the Student Center, Brenton Dorsey, to change his entire eating schedule due to the major changes that have taken place.

Sophomore dance major Lindsey Florence even dropped her meal plan completely because of the new hours that have been implemented.

Last year, students were able to go to the Point Café at any time and receive a meal exchange, breakfast included.     

Students also had the option of getting regular or chocolate milk as a drink rather than getting something from the soft drink fountain.

Many students were unaware of the new milk change and did not realize every time they got it with their meal, it was actually being charged to their flex.  These issues have left students so angry and confused that on Monday, the United Student Government (USG) invited the food director to their weekly meeting.

“Last year, the meal exchange policy was not right,” said Food Director Doug Hochhauser at the meeting on Monday afternoon.  “The policy was all day. That’s unheard of on a college campus.”

Hochhauser transferred to Point Park from the University of Pittsburgh in July. When he started at the University, he met with Point Park administrators, discussed and agreed upon changing the Point Café’s meal exchange policy.  

These changes to the meal exchange are still a work in progress. Administrators and Aramark want students to come to them with suggestions and solutions on how students think they can make this work so they can improve both the Lawrence Hall Dining Room and the Point Café to meet students’ needs and wants.

“We’re all a part of this together,” Hochhauser said. “We’re all partners in this. Aramark is a part of Point Park. We’re partners with them in making this work.  Food service is a big part of the education. Nobody wants to come here and not have good food.  It’s a miserable experience.”

Maddox estimates spending about $75 to $100 a month above his food plan costs due to the new breakfast rules and exchange hours.

Dorsey said he no longer gets breakfast and has to end up waiting until late in the day before he gets to eat.

“I dislike the new hours because I am here in the morning and I am used to getting breakfast on a meal plan,” Dorsey said Thursday at the Student Center. 

Florence said she was also upset because there was never a healthy option for a side.

“Whenever I would go to get a meal, the only option I had was fries,” Florence said last Wednesday in her dorm room. “There was never the option of a fruit or vegetable, which is part of the reason why I decided to end my meal plan all together.”

Whole fruit will now be an option for students, according to Hockhouser.

Dean of Student Life Michael Gieseke explained why the changes to Food Services occurred and how students can help make them work.

“The idea was to try, over this year, to create a better culture back to using the cafeteria and not the Point Café, and one of the ways to do that was to limit when you could use your [meal] exchange,” Gieseke said Sept. 17 in his office.

Gieseke plans on meeting with Hochhauser soon to discuss the problems brought to him by students and resolve any inequity students are experiencing with these new rules.