Issue date: 12/11/06 Section: Money/Health

Media Credit: Heather Mawhiney Senior Chris Thompson serves food to students in The Terrace in Davies Center Friday evening. Food service director Gary Prellwitz said Sodexho strives to satisfy students.

Dressed neatly in business attire, a man industriously works in his office behind a computer screen, surrounded by stacks of reports. His professional nature blends seamlessly into his environment and makes it hard for one to imagine him working anywhere else.

Later, that same man is seen with an apron over his white shirt and black pants, working among the fiery grills and boiling pots in one of the campus cafeterias.

This man is Gary Prellwitz, the food service director on campus who oversees all dining operations. Hesaid he likes to see that everything goes well.

"You have to work from satisfaction first," Prellwitz said.

Sodexho is a French multinational company that has provided the food service on campus since signing a one-year contract, with six automatic renewals in June 2002.

At UW-Eau Claire, many students spend money to eat on campus, so satisfaction has been a topic of discussion between students and Sodexho. In response, Sodexho has tried to provide feedback and make improvements for students who both like and dislike the value of the food provided on campus.

Some students have expressed concern over the quality, nutritional and monetary value of the company's food. Other students have given compliments pertaining to the variety of food offered by Sodexho and the improvements it has made over the years.

Sophomore Maxel Schultz feels the food needs more flavoring.

"I was having pasta today and it didn't taste like anything," he said. "Just like water."

Other students, like sophomore Johnathan Chase, have complained about the number of overpriced products at the Hilltop food court.

Chase feels the price of food at Hilltop is ironic considering college students usually do not have a lot of money. A can of Pringles, for example, can be bought at Hilltop for $1.99 or at Wal-Mart for 99 cents, he said.

Likewise, junior Rebecca Dutkiewicz said that a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream can be bought at Hilltop for $4.29 or at Target for $2.50.

Continued...

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