“Hey, do you need a topic for a Times-Delphic article?” my friend asked as we were eating dinner at Hubbell, or “The Hubb.”
“Why? What’s up?” I asked.
“I found a bug in my food this morning.”
“You serious?” I said.
Sure enough, there was a dead fly in his food from breakfast earlier that morning. I was really grossed out.
“That’s nasty.” I said, staring at the picture.
Hubbell Dining Hall here at Drake has long been a source of pessimism from Drake students. Before I continue, this article is not about Hubbell’s staff or the people who make the food. They do an excellent job and by no means are responsible for the food Sodexo, the company that supplies the meals, provides them.
That being said, I believe that Hubbell badly needs better, healthier and more food options. Here are examples of complaints I have heard around campus:
- Lack of healthy options
- Lack of vegan options
- Finding hairs/nails/bugs and other foreign objects in food
- Mold
- Stomach and vomiting issues (including food poisoning)
- Digestive problems
And here are some quotes I have also heard around campus:
- “I generally try to avoid Hubbell as often as I can”
- “We pay a lot of money for this stuff. I had better and cheaper food options back home in high school!”
- “Why are things always broken?”
- “When I want lemonade, water just comes out of the soda fountain. Why?”
And when teachers just in my classes have asked how the food is here, the response is resoundingly negative.
Personally, I can stomach the food. I find it edible enough, and I’m not an overly picky eater. And occasionally, I do have something that I find pretty tasty (the tater tots at breakfast, some of the grilled chicken and the blondie bars are to die for in my opinion). Yet, complaints persist about Hubbell’s quality, cleanliness, atmosphere and maintenance problems. For the amount of money we students pay for room and board at Drake, we seek better, healthier food. I would be very surprised if the administration has not heard about these complaints. It has been the main complaint I have heard from Drake students about Drake University. As I said at the beginning of the article, I believe it is appropriate to ask that Drake find better food options so students can remain healthy — and not find themselves in the bathroom after a meal in Hubbell.
