Western+Front

toc =Articles=

10/7/08 Underground Coffeehouse goes green, buys local
Ian Wright THE WESTERN FRONT Western’s Underground Coffeehouse will be giving students the option to buy entirely local and environmentally sus- tainable products by spring 2009. Ira Simon, director of University Dining Services, said the coffeehouse is currently working with the Office of Sustainability to create a venue that al- lows students to buy foods and products that have traveled no more than 150 miles from farm to fork. Buying local food uses less petroleum, and is seen by many as a sustainable practice. Simon said he wants the coffeehouse to be sustainable because its selection is smaller compared to other venues on cam- pus and it would be easiest to institute a locally-grown menu there. “We’re trying to create a destination on campus where students who want to eat local can do that,” he said. “We want different things in different places around campus.” Chick-fil-A and the Mediterranean Grill in Viking Union provide students with foods they don’t get anywhere else, as does Pizza Hut and other venues in the Atrium, Simon said. Office of Sustainability coordinator Seth Vidana said the office is creating a position called the Sustainable Food Co- ordinator. It will be an Associated Stu- dents (AS) position funded by Dining Services to focus on future sustainability on campus. Vidana said Western has come much further in terms of “tempering the sustain- ability talk with the sustainability walk” since last year. “Students for Sustainable Foods and students from the Campus Planning Stu- dio class have produced a target map for local foods in the area over the course of a year and have figured out what the ob- stacles are for getting more local food in the dining halls,” he said. Vidana said it is important for West- ern to look at where it gets its food and to back up its eco-friendly philosophy with real numbers. Simon said Dining Services is slowly expanding the number of local markets it does business with to give students a di- verse set of sustainable dining choices. Campus dining halls on campus use recyclable and rewashable resources to serve 40,000 meals a week, Simon said. “You don’t get any greener than that,” he said. Western junior Nick Nielsen is a fre- quent customer of the coffee house and said he is glad that it’s promoting local foods. “I’m happy with all the options of places to eat on campus,” he said. “So far it seems like Western already caters to a lot of different tastes and accommodates a large group of people. With the coffee- house, they’re just adding another option that people want that they haven’t yet ful- filled, and that’s a good thing.” Western sophomore Brendan Lind, a member of the AS club Students for Sus- tainable Foods, said he supports every ef- fort Dining Services makes to bring sus- tainable foods and progressive causes to campus dining. Lind said ultimately he would like to see more sustainable eateries, and is send- ing a letter to Dining Services suggesting a student-run co-op is the best way to real- ize Western’s environmental goals. “It’s a great thing that the Dining Services are recognizing us and trying to bring more sustainable foods to campus, but we believe a student run co-op is the best move to make in terms of transform- ing a market into a sustainable eatery,” he said. The letter states the group has a vision of opening a co-op on campus by next fall and hopes to have Dining Services' com- plete support. It also states the co-op would be an opportunity for Western and its students to embody the school’s stated values and serve as a hub for sustainability, commu- nity, art and activism. Simon said Dining Services is work- ing in cooperation with Students for Sus- tainable Foods because he likes their ideas of sustainable venues on campus. “We are moving forward with their ideas of sustainability on campus, but we have to consider viability for stand-alone food options and take it one step at a time,” Simon said. Western senior Mike Dussert, a Hux- ley College student, said he is interested in finding ways to make the world a more resourceful place. “I have noticed that they are offering compostable coffee cups, which is incred- ible. I love all the innovative new things the school is coming up with to show that they care about Earth.”

=Letters to the Editor=

9/30/08 Letter: Campus Invitation to Potluck
Title: Student Run Food Co-op

This letter is about bringing about the change many of us want to see at Western.

Students for Sustainable Foods would like to see a student run food co-op to Western's campus. We envision a student-run food co-op that serves as a campus hub for sustainability, community, art, and activism.

The recent addition of Chic-Fil-A could have people wondering whether the university and dining services is committed to its stated values when the food is unsustainable and the parent company supports anti-gay and pro-life organizations. The co-op is an opportunity for Western and its students to embody their stated values.

We want a co-op that serves sustainable food from local farmers, local businesses, and the Outback farm. We want a place where student's energy, creativity, and passions run every aspect of the business. We want to go beyond our differences, and be a melting pot that brings Western students together to form the kind of community we can all be proud of.

We've been working on the Co-op for over a year now. We've worked with the business department to develop a business plan, been in contact with some local farmers and suppliers, met with the dining service, the administration and the AS, talked with lawyers, other co-ops, and the health department…But this is all just the beginning. To turn this dream into a reality we must expand greatly upon everything we have done so far.

This is our vision. But it's really about the vision we create together. What changes do you want to see at Western? What's your vision for a food co-op? If you are interested in learning more, bring your talents, interests, and passions to our first meeting/potluck at 6:30 on September 30th to 1427 North Garden. If you can't come but have interest, concerns or just want to express your support, feel free to email us at [|student.coop.wwu@gmail.com] Thanks, Brendan Lind Students for Sustainable Food