The Student Government Association (SGA) called the student body to action with boycott against Sodexho on Tuesday, September 25. The SGA wanted to find an issue that everyone could relate to, and elicit a student response, with increased prices of food and low levels of student involvement in matters of finance around the University, Sodexho just dropped in their laps just such a unifying concern.
The first week alone was successful, sending a strong message that students do not wish to be left out of decision-making processes. Brad Bowen, an ASGA senator stated in reference to the first week’s impact, “We’ve been effective.” The sales in the cafeteria were reduced, and students rallied around the effort in Alumni Hall on the boycott’s kickoff day. By the second day of the boycott, over 700 signatures were on the petition to increase student involvement and come up with alternatives to raising prices.
Originally ruled as a two-week endeavor, SGA voted to change the time limit. This was in the interest of making sure it was continued for as long as necessary, whether it be longer or shorter than two weeks.
The boycott was instigated by a presentation by Sodexho’s representative at the September 13 finance meeting. SGA wanted to allow students to be aware of what was going on, and looked to publish a list of price changes, and their effects on student budgets. The idea of a meal plan is in the wings, but as a commuter campus, the support for such a plan would be shaky.
When the audit was done on the University was done in March, the University’s weakest area in the evaluation was the lack of student involvement in University resolutions. SGA would like to see more student involvement in the University, but also that the student body be included in decision systems affecting the greater population of NEIU.
However, as Brad Bowen stated, SGA wishes to express that it is “not just Sodexho. It is an all around attitude that the administration doesn’t care what we [the students] have to say. We want to be included in decisions.” The Sodexho business may wrap up soon, but the struggle for student representation in University decisions will be a topic to follow this year.