By Skylar Mattson
With St. Kate’s dining and catering contract set to expire this spring, the St. Kate’s community continues to await an announcement detailing whether Sodexo’s contract will be renewed or if a contract will be signed with a new vendor.
3 companies (Sodexo, Bon Appétit and Chartwells) presented a future vision for St. Kate’s dining and catering services to the Dining Committee composed of faculty, staff, and select student representatives last fall. The vendor was scheduled to be selected on December 8, with official contract signing on January 19.
On January 24, Dining Steering Committee member Michael Hara, Senior Director of Purchasing, Contracts and University Services, informed The Wheel that the university is in the process of completing a contract. A public announcement is still to come following contract finalization.
102 members of the St. Kate’s community signed and sent a petition to the Dining Committee demanding they not vote to continue St. Kate’s dining and catering contract with Sodexo. The petition details Sodexo’s involvement in the prison industrial complex, then asks the committee members to consider how contracting such a company aligns with St. Kate’s mission of Catholic social justice.
Sarah Campbell ‘29 (Nursing), who signed the petition in December, shared that she believes “with a school that purports social justice, contradictions must be called out. I believe St. Kate's is privileged enough to make choices that avoid contributing to institutions such as the prison industrial complex as much as possible. If the school doesn't take action in light of that, I don't know what will make the school change its plans for the dining hall.”
Beyond Sodexo’s ties to the prison industrial system, students have remained consistently dissatisfied with their services on campus due to poor food quality, limited food options for dietary restrictions, hours of operation being challenging to navigate with a student schedule and a lack of sustainable practices up until recently, following student demand.
As we enter February, continue to return for more updates about the committee and their selection.
