Though the student body may be divided over many issues, such as war or the governor’s race, it is clear there is a consensus on one issue: the food at UMass-Boston. To sum up the consensus opinion: the food is disgusting. It is of low quality and we deserve better.

Some of the food here actually makes you sick. Furthermore, the food is not cheap. Oh, they say it is, but every time you buy a burger or a plate of gruel, plus something to drink and a side item, think what you could get for a comparable price at Patty’s Pantry, or the Banshee.

You can easily spend six or seven dollars for lunch at one of UMB’s cafeterias. Why not go to the Banshee and get a burger, or, for two dollars more, steak tips? Or go to a Taste of India-where an all you can eat lunch buffet is $7.99? Because they are not on campus and the time spent going to Dorchester Ave is prohibitive, that’s the only reason.

Sodexho is the main culprit. This huge corporation has a monopoly on hot food on this campus and they leverage that monopoly into massive profits. The administration should also be held accountable. The administration is enforcing this monopoly.

This is an institution of higher learning with a so-called “community mission.” Yet, we are forced into eating prison-grade food to benefit a large corporation. Break up the monopoly-allow local restaurants to apply to be vendors.

Right now the choices that are made will affect the satisfaction of students for years to come. Let Patty’s Pantry sell steak and cheese subs in the new campus center. Next to them, allow Burrito Grande to serve great Mexican food.

The campus food service contract should be divided among a dozen companies. Those who are allowed to bid on the contracts should not be required to be huge corporations like Sodexho and Aramark-those huge corporations should be prohibited from bidding on the contracts. Only locally owned and operated restaurants and food vendors should be allowed to bid on the contracts. Stop enabling monopolies.

If a local company were selling great burritos over in Wheatley, students would all be swarming the place. If Jae’s were selling great sushi over in the Quinn Building, people would be coming from off-campus to get a taste. And if Sodexho were still selling its gruel in one of the cafeterias, that cafeteria would be a ghost town.