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WWU Student Co-op Coming!

There is a movement to create a student-run co-operative café at Western! In response to a need for a space students can call entirely their own, as well as demand for higher quality food and a more sustainable campus, members of Students for Sustainable Food are working to make the co-op a reality.

The co-op will serve delicious, healthful meals, snacks, and beverages using local, organic, and fair-trade ingredients, and will strengthen links to our larger community by connecting directly with local growers and producers.

One of the primary aims of the co-op is to foster community at Western. The co-op will begin in what is currently the Underground Coffeehouse, and will be a place where people of many perspectives feel comfortable and are inspired to gather and get to know each other. This space is ideal for the multitude of creative endeavors the co-op will support – from student art shows, to music shows, to cook-offs. In addition, the co-op will function as a hub of activism on campus by hosting educational events, providing space for club meetings, and supplying a venue to share and gather information.

All Western students will be members of the co-op, and will be encouraged to give input and participate in its operations at every level. Major decision-making will be the responsibility of a student-elected board of directors, with advice from instructors, professionals, students, and community members. Besides voluntary involvement, the co-op will employ students and integrate internships and independent study projects from a variety of departments.

Last quarter, a detailed business plan was created in collaboration with upper-level WWU management students. Included is specific business principles; feasibility, budgeting, and location research; and local, organic, and fair-trade suppliers eager to be a part of the co-op. Currently, a committee of involved students is discussing plans for the co-op with WWU administrators.

Students can start getting involved in their co-op NOW! Let your friends, professors, and administrators know you support the co-op. Also, please give ideas and input about what the co-op should be. Feel free to talk to anyone involved or to e-mail us at: sustainable.food.wwu@gmail.com.