Knights Deserve Better

A student campaign · Calvin University

Good food makes a better Calvin.

We eat in the dining hall every day, and we're grateful for the people who feed us. We want to work with Calvin Dining on more variety, more flexible hours, and a real way for students to be heard.

Join the table Read our asks
Illustration of a table seen from above with a grain bowl, a tomato and arugula salad, sliced bread, and a cup of coffee.

01 · The problem

What we hear at every table

None of this is anyone's fault. It's what builds up when students and dining services rarely get the chance to talk.

  • Few plant-based mains

    Vegetarian and vegan students often build a meal from the salad bar and sides instead of choosing a real entrée.

  • A predictable rotation

    By mid-semester, plenty of students can guess the day of the week from what's on the hot line.

  • Hours that miss busy schedules

    Labs, practices, and evening jobs can run past closing, leaving the grab-and-go cooler or nothing at all.

  • No clear place for feedback

    Students talk about the food constantly, but there's no simple, visible way for those ideas to reach the people planning the menu.

02 · Voices

In students' words

Illustrative placeholders, not survey results.

“I love the people who work the line. I just wish there were a vegetarian main that wasn't pasta four nights a week.”

Junior · Nursing

“Practice ends at 7:30. By the time I get to the dining hall, it's whatever's left in the cooler.”

Sophomore · Student athlete

“If there were a comment card that someone actually answered, I'd fill one out every week.”

Senior · Computer Science
of students would eat on campus more with more variety
3 in 5
typical end of evening labs and practices
7:30 pm
simple, visible feedback channel is all we're asking to start
1

03 · Our asks

Five things we're asking for

These are small, concrete changes. Each one could be piloted for a semester and measured, and we'll help gather student feedback on every one of them.

  1. A daily plant-based entrée

    One full vegetarian or vegan main on the hot line at every lunch and dinner.

  2. A longer menu rotation

    A cycle of at least three weeks, plus one student-requested dish each month.

  3. A late-evening option

    A hot to-go meal until 9 pm for students with evening labs, practices, and jobs.

  4. A visible feedback loop

    A QR-code form at every station and a monthly “you said, we did” board by the entrance.

  5. A student dining council

    A small group of students who meet with Calvin Dining each semester to talk menus and pilots.

Illustration of four students talking over plates of fresh food at a dining-hall table.

04 · Join

Pull up a chair

Add your name to show support and tell us what you'd change. We'll bring the results to Calvin Dining.

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