Food Fight!

“At Anthony Marano, we only associate ourselves with the best. We employ an outstanding team of specialists to ensure we exceed our customers’ expectations…our matchless product quality and selection, set us apart from our competitors.”

From: http://www.anthonymarano.com/why-marano  Accessed: 12/4/15

Today, Aramark sneakily tried to disrupt our boycott by sending in the freshest, premium lunch produce to lure the students to eat.

Anthony Marano Produce truck pulling away from the cafeteria on Friday, 12/4/15.  Photo Credit: Mr. Meegan

Although we really appreciate the efforts, it will not work. We know that they are just trying to make themselves look good during the time of the boycott. Then they will go back to serving us the same old, depressing food.  By Luz Martinez

Marano’s produce in our lunch line today.  Photo Credit: Noemi Alanis

 

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Boycott Update

What is THAT?  

Photo Credit: Alondra Ramirez

These are a few responses we received from Roosevelt students on our lunch survey:

“The reason why I’m going to participate in the boycott is the simple fact that I’ve eaten raw uncooked food”

“We’re here for 8 hours a day, yet a lot of kids do not go to lunch because it’s just a waste of time because we’re still hungry at the end.”

Another student also said, “Don’t let money waiver your decision. Yes change can be a bit expensive but if you must see the investment potential, just think of the effect better food can have on student attendance and overall mood. A happy stomach is a happy student.  Make this school better please.  Any motivation is more than we had before.  The silliest and simplest things can make the biggest impact.””

If you do not like the school lunch , think its unhealthy , or feel like your portions are not enough then we highly encourage EVERY student of Roosevelt to participate in the school-wide boycott Monday. Together we CAN make a change!

Freshman and sophomores are boycotting today December 4th. Freshmen didn’t get the message but almost 100% of Sophomores participated. Yesterday’s Boycott was a success!  Almost 100% of Juniors, and many seniors boycotted the lunch.  For Monday’s school-wide boycott we will have donated snacks!

Aramark observers are monitoring our cafeteria.  It’s funny how the presentation and freshness of our food has  improved since we started the boycott.  Take a look at today’s school lunch line:

The squeaky wheel gets the grease.  Photo Credit: Noemi Alanis

Post by: Ty Valencia and Catherine Garcia

Juniors Boycott School Lunch

Art: CJ McNeil

Today December 3 was the first day of boycott! Students skipped lunch for a good cause. Day one  at RHS today was the first day that students bought their own lunch. Almost 100% of the the juniors brought their lunches from home.They supported the boycott and the seniors also supported the boycott but not as much as juniors. All juniors either brought their lunch from home or they didn’t eat at all to support the boycott. It was a huge success for the goals we are trying to achieve to make our lunch better and healthier. We still have more days of boycotting we are hoping more will participate than today.

The students used social media to spread the word about the boycott. We can’t wait for more students to participate tomorrow. We know we will have more participating! We are hoping that we can get better quality food, because we deserve it. -Jinil Patel and Ana Mendoza

Deception at CPS

Copy of CPS Inspector General’s Report re: (CPS administrator) Leslie Fowler’s relationship with Aramark (Company A) during the RFP process

 

Leslie Fowler ( head of cps nutrition services ) said that,” I would ask that (students) hold off on any activity that would potentially impact the staffing positions at the school until we can meet to find resolution for the student’s concerns.  CPS food service staff are paid based on meals served.  If no meals are served they are impacted. This also impacts their pay on an annual basis as their pay scale is based on total number of meals served.”

Wait a second are you saying that our lunch staff will be impacted for boycotting school lunch?

Here’s a quote from Louise Babbs, a lunchroom attendant at Corkery Elementary School and union organizer with UNITE HERE Local 1:

“CPS lunch ladies are paid by the hour, and our members will faithfully report to work regardless because the kids come first. We’ve been fighting for good fresh food for years, and we support any efforts on the part of students to do the same.”

We wonder why would the head of CPS nutrition Leslie Fowler mislead us about our lunch staff being paid by the number of meals served. Is it because they’re afraid that we know the truth that our lunch staff will not be affected by our boycott but the Aramark’s profit will be affected?

-Jose Santana, 7th period

Lunch line at a school in Iguala,Guerrero, Mexico.  This here is the food that  students get to eat. It is being made right in front of them and it is all fresh. Here you can see a variety of things being made and if you look closely there is a variety of sauces that they can choose from.  Photo Credit: Amy Casales

The Lunch Boycott is On!

 

Would you pay for this at a grocery store?  Why serve it to students?  Photo Credit: Itzel Perez

Students will boycott Aramark school lunch at RHS from Thursday, Dec 3rd through Monday, December 7th.

On Wednesday students will learn about the School Lunch Project in advisory.  Thursday Juniors and Seniors will boycott Aramark lunch and bring food from home.  Friday Freshmen and Sophomores will do it.  On Monday, December 7th, The whole school will boycott Aramark lunch and bring a bag lunch from home.

The purpose of the boycott is to get Aramark to improve the food it serves students.  For every lunch they do not serve, they do not get paid.  This will put pressure on them to improve the food quality, options, and portions.  Support a boycott of school lunch at your school on December 7th!

Learn more here:

http://www.wbez.org/sections/food/chicago-high-schoolers-launch-website-against-school-food-113980

 

 

We demand Insect Free Food!

Salad served to a student at Roosevelt Wednesday, 11/18/15

Photo credit: Dalia Gomez

 

Is it too much to ask for food free of vermin?  This insect was found dead in a student salad.  Aramark food service and Aramark janitorial service combine to produce unhealthy conditions for CPS students.   Can anyone identify the species?

Negotiations underway…

The School Lunch Project is pleased to announce the election of the student negotiating team! They are:

Duyen Ho, 1st period

Gabriel Virella, 3rd period

Willis Torres, 4th period

Terreon Williams, 7th period

Itzel Perez, 8th period

Our first negotiation session was yesterday.  Duyen, Terreon, Mr. Meegan, and Principal Vazquez were in attendance.  Terreon said that the lunch portions were way too small for teenagers, and it is hard to make it through the day with so little food.  That’s why kids sell and eat snacks. Duyen asked Principal Vazquez what she thinks of school lunch?  Our principal responded that she thought the food was not appetizing, they had limited options, and the quality could be better.  She said that her own children will not eat it and she has to pack a lunch for them every day.  Mr. Meegan also told us the same thing- that his kids will not eat it and they bring a bag lunch every day too.

Our principal brought up our demand for vending machines.  She stated that the machines had to be a certain number of feet away from the cafeteria.  She said she would find out.  She also mentioned that Taft got vending machines last year.  Principal Vazquez insisted that if students could keep the school clean, she would allow us to bring vending machines back!

Our next negotiation will be Tuesday, December 1st.  Action steps:

Principal Vazquez has committed to bring up the issue of Aramark food quality and limited options at her next network meeting.  She can have conversations with other principals regarding our school lunch and work toward improving it.  She also said she would look into getting the vending machines and look for a good place to put them.

We will create a lesson for advisory on the school lunch project, including a survey of the student body.  We will add a gallery page to the site so other people at CPS schools can submit their photos of school lunch.  We are going to create an online petition to add to the more than 900 signatures we have on paper, and we will try to set up a meeting with the Board.