First-year architecture student Antonio Guerra grabs a free daily meal from the dining hall almost every day. Guerra stated that he’s a fan of the program because it’s free, but he doesn’t always like the food.

“Either it’ll be really good, it’ll be alright or it’ll just be really terrible, and after a couple of bites, you’re not going to really have an appetite for it for the rest of the day,” said Guerra.

As the meal deals program approaches its fourth month, Fullerton College works on adjustments to accommodate student preferences.

Fullerton College’s pre-determined meal system differs from other local community colleges, such as Cypress College, which offers $12 daily food passes for students to choose from the cafe. The 2024 school year is the first since Fullerton College removed its own $12 option, which allowed students to use the money toward restaurants of their choice.

Second-year business administration student Emily Kim is the president of Associated Students. Kim revealed that she gathers feedback on the meal deals by talking with students. According to her, the top requests include more variety, larger portion sizes and fresher meals.

Kim works with the president of Fullerton College, Dr. Cynthia Olivo, and Sodexo, the food company that provides the meals.

“I collaborate closely with Dr. Olivo to identify and address any deficiencies that may arise,” said Kim. “Together, we work with the Sodexo area general manager and forward requests based on the student feedback we receive.”

An adjustment she noted was that Fullerton College now offers vegetables with the meals. Students previously requested vegetables to have more balanced meals.

In addition, the dining hall used to offer chips as a side but now serves fruit instead. This is part of the effort to make the meals healthier.

However, Kim stated that this didn’t sit well with some students who prefer the chips. Kim revealed that she recently placed a request to account for this criticism. The request is for a new change where students can choose between chips or fruit as a side dish.

Associated Students hasn’t published new meal resolutions for the semester. However, Kim clarified that the Research, Planning, and Resolutions Committee is currently exploring and finding information before creating the necessary resolutions.

In a statement to The Hornet, President Cynthia Olivo emphasized the school’s communication to “ensure high quality, healthy meals are provided to students that also align with foods & snacks students enjoy eating”.

“I’m pleased to collaborate with the Associated Students to ensure we are in constant communication to listen and respond to the needs of students and further strengthen our meal plan,” said Olivo, “I’m proud that as of the end of September we have provided 33,000 meals to students. An example of our collective efforts to respond to student needs is ensuring the signage is clear for students with dietary restrictions such as Gluten Free and Vegetarian options.”

Kim highlighted the importance of student feedback in adjusting the meal deals. For example, regarding the lack of variety, Kim said that she’ll work with Olivo on this issue if they continue to receive student responses.

“We’re always getting feedback in multiple different areas,” said Kim. “We really do value that—each and every single one of us.”