To whom this may concern, 

We're confused. We're upset. We're hungry. 

This fall the menu of The Gallery in Snyder-Phillips Halls has changed, cutting costs and striving to meet the mission statement of Eat at State and Culinary Services in proving it's efficiency and sustainability. This alongside the wish that other cafeterias on campus will meet the excellence The Gallery is known for. Well, we fear "was known for." 

While we admire the University's environmental conscientiousness and strive for creating a better world for the future, there's an additional section of the statement no longer being met. It seems the part of creating an outstanding experience has been escaping The Gallery the past week. With this petition we hope to reclaim what we are known for: hearty, delicious food. The food that puts other colleges to shame. The food we gloat about to our Maize and Blue counterparts.

Below is the official grievances from the students of Michigan State University (MSU), especially the Mason-Abbot/Snyder-Phillips (MASP) quad.

We miss our fresh cut fruit available all day long. There's nothing like getting fresh cut cantaloupe, ripe watermelon, sweet honeydew, delicious grapes, and sliced strawberries. Instead, after breakfast we are greeted by daunting canned fruit, if we can find it. Yes, the counter at Bliss serves apples and oranges all year, but those aren't always in season, which would make the price of fruit rise and the vitamin content fall, defeating the purpose of being efficient. The National Institute of Health actually says that there's a HUGE deficiency in Vitamin C in college students, and hiding or not offering an array of fruit will work against our own strive for healthy lifestyles and keeping away scurvy. 

In addition to cutting the fruit, hard ice cream is only served until 8 p.m. and Bliss closes earlier than it used to. Closing the station early eliminates a job for a student who probably needs money to pay off college loans eventually. The student loan debt has grown substantially, and well paying jobs like in The Gallery help them earn money to save allowing them to eventually contribute to the economy. 

If the goal is to help other cafeterias rise to the excellence of The Gallery, then why lower our standards? The reason so many students across campus flock to the North East corner of campus is to get a taste our famous meals. We believe that won't be happening if changes aren't undone soon. Some of those meals, we have been told, are no longer in existence. What ever happened to Wok-A-Palooza? The alternating companion of the Pasta Bar finds itself lost, a thing of the past. The beauty of the Monday Asian cuisine alongside the Tuesday Italian was an event to look forward to. We are now only seeing a few of those menu items spread out through the month. Not to mention Wednesdays or Thursdays serving amazing Mexican food seems to no longer happen. What about the occasional Saturday Mac-n-Cheese bar that required two lines on both ends, because people couldn’t wait to have the highly acclaimed meal. Even simple foods like Buffalo chicken and bacon for sandwiches are extinct. We fear things like Presidential Chicken, sushi, and popcorn chicken bowls will also be on this list of has been food. 

We do commend The Gallery for opening a vegetarian line at New Traditions, but it is so rarely used that sometimes one must get the attention of a worker to get served. Many students think that the hummus is no longer available. Which it isn’t at all hours. Which is a pity as it has many benefits. Along with this, oatmeal no longer being nut free, as Cherry Almond Oatmeal has replaced it. This takes away another option for those with allergies to nuts, which is very common. 

We also commend them on trying new diverse recipes, but we want the old ones too.

We don’t understand why something that was working really well is being fixed. What broke?

We have a hard time thinking the University is. We understand it costs a multitude to run facilities and keep the dorms open, we are grateful for that. Yet, with approximately 1,320 students living in the MASP quad, we broke down finances for room and board. Imagining they’re all double rooms with the lowest dining plan, MSU would be making $6.25 million a semester. Even if the single rooms are subtracted, the sum is in the millions. We have to cut back on our food though? Doesn’t our $4,737 a semester count for something more in the cafeteria? Also, if less people come to our cafeteria because they dislike the changes, doesn't that create more food waste? 

Please, help us be successful students by enticing us to eat during our hectic schedules, instead of encouraging us to scarf our Combo Xchanges in our room or on our way to class. 

Sincerely, 

The students of MASP quad and others of Michigan State University