Despite prior efforts to improve the POD (Provisions On Demand), SHS’s a-la-carte lunch provider, students continue to voice concerns regarding the quality of the food services provided. Issues brought up by students include long wait times, insufficient options, and poor food quality. Multiple students have purchased food from the POD that was spoiled or moldy.

“I found visible mold in my salad – it was fuzzy on top and I had to get it switched out,” said Vivian Rich, sophomore. “I’ve also had at least three other salads where you couldn’t tell just from looking at it, but either the lettuce, cucumbers or tomatoes were rotten.” 

Chloe Chang, sophomore, has also had negative experiences with food from the POD. 

“I ate a rotten tomato in my salad,” Chang said. “[The food] is either hard and stale or really soggy.” 

According to Tim Kenney, principal, legal guidelines bind the type of food that can be sold in schools, leading to taste differences.

“[There are] heavy regulations that go into having a food service in schools, like the amount of sugar that can be in the food,” Kenney said. “You can go to the POD and buy a bag of Doritos, but [they’re reduced fat], and so there is a different taste. I think some of those things have a tendency to make people feel like [the food] is not as good because it doesn’t taste as good, but it’s probably better for you.” 

Chang believes that the POD services haven’t undergone any significant improvements since the beginning of the school year. 

“I feel like [the food] has gotten worse,” Chang said. “The bread from the chicken sandwiches is always so stale and makes me want to vomit.”

Another concern raised by Rich was the long wait times and crowding in the halls near the POD. 

“It takes forever to get food if you’re not leaving class early, especially because [the POD is] in one tiny hallway and everybody’s smashed in there,” Rich said. “There’s only one line for the POD, and half the school gets lunch. It takes [twice as] long instead of having a food scoop [system], like a usual cafeteria.”

 The limited menu choices of the POD, especially for students with dietary restrictions, has also been an area of concern. Each day, the POD only serves two or three menu options.

“A lot of vegetarian or vegan people who don’t bring their own lunches to school get upset about [the limited options] because the POD only serves food for people who eat meat and don’t have dietary restrictions,” Chang said. “It also sucks for people who have allergies.” 

In contrast to Chang, Rich believes that overall, the services have improved since the beginning of the year. 

“I think they’ve tried to put new dishes out that they didn’t have before, like tikka masala, which doesn’t really taste that great, but they’re trying,” Rich said. “At the beginning of the year, the chicken on top of the salad was just straight sawdust and glue, but now it tastes like something. They put seasoning on it and it has normal texture.”

Besides quality issues, concerns have also been raised regarding Aramark, the company that runs the POD. According to Kenney, Aramark has responded appropriately to the needs of the District and students throughout the course of its use. 

“I’ve found our food services directors to be pretty responsive to student feedback because they want it to be as positive an experience as possible,” Kenney said. “[At one point], students had developed a petition. I wanted to support the students in being able to share their feedback with Aramark; [Aramark] was very responsive.” 

The ethics of Aramark have also been called into question. Aramark is a company that uses prison labor, a controversial practice that is legal in the United States. 

Ryan Clancy, state representative and supervisor, has extensive knowledge of Aramark, specifically its connection to the Community Reintegration Center (CRC), previously called the House of Corrections. Food supplied by Aramark is served at the CRC. As a representative, Clancy had the opportunity to tour correctional facilities, including the CRC. Part of his tour included a meal with inmates. 

 “One thing that almost [all of the prisoners] mentioned after a few minutes was how terrible the food was,” Clancy said. “I sat down with folks in the dorm and I had exactly what they were served, and it was the worst food I’d ever eaten in my life. This food was intentionally bad.” 

Clancy also raises concerns regarding Aramark’s treatment of its employees.

“Aramark is terrible to their employees,” Clancy said. “They’re paying the very minimum that they need to to have people there.” 

Clancy offers his opinion on a solution to the insufficient food services at SHS.

“In a public school, you should have public employees making and serving that food,” Clancy said. “Anytime you invite in private companies, there are always going to be compromises because their goal is not to make good, healthy, nutritious food that students want. Their goal is to make a profit for their shareholders, and as a result, the food is worse, the student outcomes are worse, and it’s worse for the people doing the work.”