YU Students Fed-up with High Caf Prices

"As you are aware, we are currently experiencing unprecedented increases in the cost of food," reads a sign by the cafeteria cash register. "We have been forced to raise prices to ensure that we continue to provide quality products." This sign was not enough to prepare Ben Glueck (YC '10), who was charged $8.75 for cereal, milk, and coffee: "Man. I could've bought 3 cereal boxes for that." The prices have indeed risen. Cafeteria staff and YU administration, however, attribute this hike to the nature of the economic situation, specifically as it pertains to food worldwide.

"Everything everywhere has gotten more expensive," said Mr. Jeffrey Rosengarten, Vice President for Administrative Services. "The cost of eggs and poultry rose 4% last year, and is projected to rise another 4% or 5% in 2008. It's a challenge, but prices here correspond to prices elsewhere." Mr. Rosengarten pointed to the 13% increase in the cost of dairy products and the 20% increase in the cost of meat products, both of which made it impossible to maintain last year's prices. The increase in food prices in the cafeteria is linked directly to the increase everywhere else. YU hired a consultant to help face this challenge, and he recommended, given the expense of the schools food program, a 6-6.5% price increase. The school heeded this recommendation and, according to Mr. Rosengarten, still needs subsidizing for the school food program. Nonetheless, the YU food program is cheaper than the kosher food programs of other universities. Columbia's kosher food program, for example, charges over $2,000 per semester. Mr. Rosengarten explained that some items are hiked higher then they need to be, so that items like salmon, a student favorite, could be served at an affordable price. "It's a balance," Mr. Rosengarten said. "We'll charge a bit more here so we can charge a bit less there." The University has taken some measures to improve the situation. It has added $100 to the "caf-cards," and is offering more food choices. The addition of a Panini bar and of a falafel stand is noteworthy. Still, many feel that offering a broader variety of items to the menu hardly seems like a solution.

Certain meals are noticeably inexpensive. Given the increase in food prices globally as well as in YU, it is noteworthy that the $10 fee that students pay for all three Shabbat meals has remained fixed. Mr. Rosengarten acknowledged the surprisingly inexpensive Shabbat plan, and said that the price would probably be raised. A cafeteria employee who wished to remain anonymous discussed the prices in comparison to those found outside the cafeteria, both in New York City and globally: "Well, yeah, it's a bit more expensive here. Like a bagel here is a dollar, right? Well, outside, a roll might be 75 cents or so. But that's because you're buying kosher here. And the prices getting higher isn't just happening here-it's the whole world. It's everywhere."

Many economists and analysts are referring to this global food price increase as a "food crisis," attributable to a variety of factors ranging from increased gas prices to crop failures due to droughts and global warming. Belying an increased price tag is a multitude of other factors, such as environmental and economic instability. Many students feel prices are still too high. Moshe Zharnest (SSSB '10), YSU vice president, remarked that "the problem is when an AMC Loews is charging $2.00 for a vitamin water, but the YU caf-store is charging fifty cents more than that." Yaniv Moradi (SSSB '09) nodded in agreement: "Students should get student prices. It's that simple." Students are particularly vexed by the high cost of items in the caf-store. Mr. Rosengarten attributes the high cost of caf-store products to the regulation enforced in the distribution industry, and the caf-store's inability to buy in bulk and thus charge cheaper prices. "It's just ridiculous that the prices have gotten so high," SOY secretary Jason Jacobs (YC '10) said. "For the same prices I'm dropping on a tiny chicken and fries I could get a laffa at Golan and be totally full." Many students also complained their inability to spend caf-card money out of the cafeteria and caf-store. "Why can't we spend our own money at the other restaurants on campus?" asked Yehoshua Herzig (YC '10). "Couldn't we have some campus cash system or something?" When addressed about a "campus-cash" system, Mr. Rosengarten said that students are not expected to eat in the caf three times a day, seven days a week. Nor is the $1,300 and change per semester expected to be the entire amount of money that students spend on food during a semester, as it is assumed that students will spend some money elsewhere. "What's the difference between our taking $700 more from your parents and giving you campus-cash or your parents just giving you the money directly? When I asked Columbia how they did a campus-cash program, they said, 'If you pay more, you can spend money in other places.'" Benyamin Heyman (YC '11), when asked about the rising cafeteria prices, threw down his fork down at a bowl of melon and cottage cheese. "8 bucks," he said through a mouth full of food. Like many YU students, he finds it tough to swallow.