ASI held a town hall meeting to discuss campus dining on Oct. 17. The general consensus of students from Cal State Bakersfield that attended was that campus dining needed many improvements, making students prefer ​​alternatives off campus for their meals.  

“I paid $4 for French fries and $3 extra to take them to go,” said Mia Pesina, human biological sciences major. 

In addition to paying a three dollar to go fee for food from the Runner Express, students purchasing meals from the to go buffet need to return the tray they used within a week.  

Other students shared that wait times can also be up to 40 minutes during busy times and that there are not many food options available—raising concerns for their peers who may have dietary restrictions. 

A shared sentiment among the students was that the Runner Express did not have a high enough quality of food nor a high enough quantity for the prices they were charging. This leads students to prefer eating off campus, where they are offered a better price value and higher food quality.  

Ricki Lee Korba, ​​vice president of university affairs, mentioned that price transparency was a concern at the Runner Express. Prices at the Runner Express are not easily accessible, only being shown in small corners of where the food is being held. Other students at the meeting agreed that the Runner Express in particular was in need of improvements.  

Other food options on campus include food trucks and restaurants such as Panda Express, Starbucks and Bento Suchi. When students were asked about those food options they said they would prefer to have more vendors and food trucks available on campus as opposed to more options like the Runner Express. 

“President Harper is working on bringing more food trucks to campus,” said Tj Moreno, ASI’s Director of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering.  

The town hall also brought attention to campus parking and student meal plans being unsatisfactory, however campus dining was the primary topic addressed and ASI hopes to address further campus issues in the future.