WEST LIBERTY, WV- Many students at West Liberty University go to the Bear’s Den, the campus cafeteria, to get their food on campus. However, some students recently have questioned the cafeteria’s food quality. Here’s what the student body had to say:
Katherine Torrance, a graduate student at West Liberty University, is a regular at the cafeteria. She goes to the Bear’s Den almost every day to see the staff’s warm welcome and to eat what’s on the menu. “It’s pretty good,” she said.
Torrance elaborated on her experience with the Bear’s Den and said that there are some foods they serve that bother her due to sensory issues. “There was brisket last week, and it was just gristly, and I wasn’t able to eat it because it was just so much,” said Torrance. Torrance’s favorite food served at the Bear’s Den are the sushi bowls. She said “I wish they would do stuff like that more.”
However, first year WLU student Lance Coleman had a different experience with the Bear’s Den. He suspects that food from the Bear’s Den makes him feel ill. “It’s been pretty bad, and I get sick a lot,” said Coleman.
Coleman went to one of the focus groups that Aladdin Campus Dining held on January 30th to express his concerns. “It was more concerned about the hours of the cafeteria, WEBURG, and Chilaca rather than the important things,” said Coleman. He suggested that Aladdin Campus Dining should change the distribution of the food and give their employees additional training.
Another first year student, Aidan Horan, experienced almost the same issue as Coleman. He explained that while some days the food tastes decent, on others, the quality declines.
“I got sick multiple times when all I was eating was cafeteria food,” said Horan. Horan also said that students should address Aladdin if they have concerns related to the quality of the Bear’s Den’s food.
Haley Norris, a sophomore student at West Liberty University, explained that the food was good at first until she ate the breakfast options. “I immediately felt sick while eating, and I knew something was wrong,” said Norris.
However, Norris does not believe that her sickness was due to food poisoning. “I never had any truly terrible issues, just minor stomach issues,” said Norris. She stressed that students should continue to write their concerns on the board near the entrance of the Bear’s Den to notify Aladdin.
The Ohio County Health Department received a complaint of raw chicken being served to Bear’s Den patrons. Health inspectors came to the Bear’s Den on February 9th to inspect the cafeteria facilities, and they passed the inspection. Furthermore, officials from the Ohio County Health Department said that the agency has not received any reports of foodborne illnesses at West Liberty University’s dining locations.
Aladdin released an official statement addressing these concerns. They said that they understand the importance of food quality and will combat the issue by further training their staff, adding additional food prep time, and switching to pre-cooked chicken. Nancy Goplerud, Food Service Director for Aladdin, also provided each of the common areas and residence halls with free pizza and talked one-on-one with students in order to collect more feedback regarding concerns with Aladdin.
If you have any issues with Aladdin Campus Dining, please either ask a Bear’s Den employee for a card with information of who to contact or write your concerns on the board by the entrance of the Bear’s Den. If you suspect you contracted a foodborne illness from any of West Liberty University dining options, contact the Ohio County Health Department.
