Spring Break
Dining cooks up new meal plans
Soda cost rises, new choices added to appease students craving variety
Lindsey Lewandowski
Issue date: 9/9/04 Section: Campus News
Students wondering why they're charged 15 cents more to buy a 20-ounce soda from vending machines should just open a newspaper, said Mitch Kilcrease, director of University Centers and Programs. He said beef, chicken, gas and oil prices, as well as labor costs, increased, which forced vending companies to request a boost in soda cost.
"There was a Mad Cow scare last year that sent beef prices through the roof," Kilcrease said. "Tyson chicken had a big strike last year ... there's all kinds of mitigating factors when you compile them all together." He added that heightened gas prices affect product delivery.
"Think about it," said Candice Wilson, business operations manager for University Centers and Programming. "Gas prices are to the moon. It increases supplier costs." These costs, she said, are passed onto somebody, and in turn passed on again until consumers end up paying.
However, this isn't just affecting Eau Claire students. Wilson said the 15-cent increase is standard throughout the city and can be found in mall and movie theater vending machines.
Kilcrease said vendors, not the university, have contracts with Pepsi and Coke.
"Pepsi and Coke pass price increases onto vendors, and they pass those onto us," he said.
Wilson said Wally's Vending, operating in Davies Center, submitted a formal request to raise soda prices, and E.J.'s Vending, located in Hibbard Hall, only submitted an informal request. However if UW-System Purchasing amends prices, it will change them "across the board."
If a vendor would like to initiate a price change, the company must give a 60-day notice prior to the end of a semester, as well as provide justification for doing so. Prices are set in comparison to other campuses in the state.
"Just because they ask doesn't mean they get it," she said of the process.
Because the price change was initiated fall semester and discussed during the summer, the dining services committee - students appointed by student government and Residential Life - were not able to give input. However, the group that advises food service issues on a weekly basis throughout the semester played an active role in approving the new meal plans.
"There was a Mad Cow scare last year that sent beef prices through the roof," Kilcrease said. "Tyson chicken had a big strike last year ... there's all kinds of mitigating factors when you compile them all together." He added that heightened gas prices affect product delivery.
"Think about it," said Candice Wilson, business operations manager for University Centers and Programming. "Gas prices are to the moon. It increases supplier costs." These costs, she said, are passed onto somebody, and in turn passed on again until consumers end up paying.
However, this isn't just affecting Eau Claire students. Wilson said the 15-cent increase is standard throughout the city and can be found in mall and movie theater vending machines.
Kilcrease said vendors, not the university, have contracts with Pepsi and Coke.
"Pepsi and Coke pass price increases onto vendors, and they pass those onto us," he said.
Wilson said Wally's Vending, operating in Davies Center, submitted a formal request to raise soda prices, and E.J.'s Vending, located in Hibbard Hall, only submitted an informal request. However if UW-System Purchasing amends prices, it will change them "across the board."
If a vendor would like to initiate a price change, the company must give a 60-day notice prior to the end of a semester, as well as provide justification for doing so. Prices are set in comparison to other campuses in the state.
"Just because they ask doesn't mean they get it," she said of the process.
Because the price change was initiated fall semester and discussed during the summer, the dining services committee - students appointed by student government and Residential Life - were not able to give input. However, the group that advises food service issues on a weekly basis throughout the semester played an active role in approving the new meal plans.