Drew Students Protest Food Options and Seek Reform
All the events that happened in the past week stemmed from one single event that blossomed into a student movement.
On February 3rd, a student was reprimanded and accosted by Drew University Public Safety and the dining staff for trying to take some food back to his dorm for later consumption. This student was asked to either eat the food or throw it out and later was escorted out by public safety.
There is no set rule that is displayed in the commons or on Daniel's Dictionary (Drew University's Hand Book) that even mentions any kind of repercussions about taking food. Among the staff, it is a verbal rule rather than one that ubiquitous and the Drew student was asked to either eat the food or throw it out and later was escorted out by public safety.
Monday at midnight, students gathered on commons to assemble and come together as a campus to show our support for reform. Students painted their faces, brought signs, marched, and chanted about the food and certain policies that seem made up on the spot like taking food out of the commons.
The following day, students that supported the cause brought Tupperware to the commons and took food as a statement to Aramark and Drew that the students want to be heard and are tired of being quiet. They marched to Mead Hall where all the administration offices are and protested and rallied more students on their way to class.
One student made a great point saying that "How is it that if you run out of meals one week you have to pay $7.50, but if you have 3 extra meals another week you get no money back!", saying that in the end the students are losing money.
As these protests continue on Drew's Campus, we want the media and other news outlets to help our cause and spread the word.
