Last Saturday, amid the frenzy of GAAP weekend and the annual Run for Rigby event, Georgetown’s Grilling Society wasn’t the only group serving burgers and hot dogs in the 85 degree heat. Across from the long lines for GUGS burgers in Red Square, members of Georgetown Solidarity Committee set up tables and a grill on Healy Lawn for a barbecue with on-campus workers. The event was also cosponsored by GUSA and the Advisory Committee on Business Practices for the first time in the barbecue’s history.

GSC members hold this event each semester to give students a chance to interact with workers outside of the traditional service environment. “It’s fun, a lot of students played with workers’ kids and it was just a fun, informal atmosphere,” Rachel Milito (SFS ’12), a member of GSC, said. “It’s important to show appreciation for all the work that workers do on campus that often goes unnoticed, but more importantly it’s a forum for workers from different parts of campus to get together and see if they’re having similar experiences and have a sense of solidarity.”

Compared to past semesters, this semester’s barbecue had much higher attendance rates. “It was mostly Leo’s workers and Public Safety officers. We reached out beyond that but that was the best turnout we’ve had at a BBQ before,” Samuel Geaney-Moore (SFS ‘12) said. “It was nice that that GUSA cosponsored it, and some of the members of the Advisory on Business Practices came as well, which is more than we’ve got in the past.” Geaney-Moore pointed to the campaign negotiations for the union as a significant source of bonding between the students and workers.

In light of the recent firing of two Leo’s workers, the conversations at the barbecue inspired the workers to arrange a meeting for Thursday to outline the rights of a worker. “If you don’t speak up we don’t know what’s going on. You can’t wait till you get fired. The union can only protect you if you have a job. If you don’t have a job, what can you do? A lot of people don’t understand their rights. Because of the picnic we’re going to have a meeting on Thursday to outline those rights,” Tarshea Smith, Leo’s employee and member of the Unite Here! Leo’s branch Worker Committee, said.

Read the rest of this entry »

Shortly after 12:30 p.m. today, Leo’s workers, who are in the process of negotiating a union contract with Aramark, staged a demonstration on the upper floor of the dining hall. Coinciding with chicken-finger Thursdays and a day when Aramark managers are on-site, the unionizing workers demanded a fair contract from their employer. Joined by many members of the Georgetown Solidarity Committee, the brief demonstration ended to applause, with chants of “We’ll be back!”

Thanksgiving break is finally here, a much-needed respite from the stress of classes and an interminably long midterm period. For those of you who can’t escape campus for the next few days, free food is here to help.

Start off the break with a stop at good old Leo J. O’Donovan’s for the annual President’s Thanksgiving Dinner, hosted by President DeGioia and his wife. Head over to Leo’s from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday to indulge in a complete pre-Thanksgiving feast, and don’t forget to RSVP here. If you don’t RSVP, you may miss an opportunity to take a picture with President DeGioia in a sweater. Vox, for one, will not be passing up that opportunity.

On Thanksgiving proper, head over to Alumni Lounge to join the Chaplains-in-Residence for a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. Join the CIRs at 5 p.m., and don’t forget to bring your appetite.

If you still happen to be hungry after one scrumptious Thanksgiving feast, head over to Epicurean from 6 to 8 p.m. for yet another round of delicious Thanksgiving food. If you won’t yet be tired of turkey, be sure to RSVP beforehand to info@epicureanandcompany.com.

Photo: Georgetown

With a few notable exceptions, college rankings are usually pretty nice to Georgetown, especially those that rely heavily on nice location and strong academics. But let’s face it, those get a little boring.

So when Newsweek and The Daily Beast recently came out with the 2011 incarnation of their college rankings series, which consists of dozens of lists ranking schools on standards from “Braniacs” to “Horniest,” there were some we all figured we’d make it onto. Number three for “Future Politicians,” number 14 for “International Students” (Editor’s note: Up your game, Harvard), yeah, no surprises there. But wait a second—we’re number 15 in “Best Food“?

Although there are those who think that our school’s singular cafeteria is the epitome of the fine dining experience, and Leo’s has made significant efforts to improve its operation and student satisfaction in recent years, it’s hard to ignore that the whole establishment still leaves a lot to be desired. So why, when compared with schools with multiple, bigger dining halls, wider options, and meals that don’t get students violently ill, do we get the prize for 15th best dining?

The answer, sadly, isn’t the Apple Festival. Rather, it’s in the methodology that Newsweek and Daily Beast use to compile their list, where 25% of the score is based on “restaurants per capita in the surrounding area.” And, as our measly student credit cards know all too well, the Georgetown neighborhood is chock full of restaurants, from the high brow to the iconically greasy, right at the tips of our fingers or the other end of our phone lines. Throw on some Chicken Madness, and, frankly, we’re surprised we weren’t ranked higher. What does Boston College have that we don’t?

Thanks to Patrick Go (MSB ’11) for the tip!

A group of students met in the Alumni Lounge on Monday night, as part of a new movement to offer more gluten-free foods on campus.

Approximately 30 students have reported concerns about gluten, a protein that generally appears in processed wheat, to an on-campus dietician formerly employed at Leo J. O’Donovan Dining Hall, but it’s likely that others are also affected by Celiac disease or gluten intolerance.

“I didn’t bother talking to the dietician at the school because the only thing she could have done for me is give me a key to the gluten-free area [at Leo's],” Sara Ainsworth (SFS ’14) wrote in an email.

In the year since Aramark, which operates Leo’s, introduced gluten-free products in the lower lever of the dining hall, students with gluten intolerances have been underwhelmed by the offerings.

“While I admire their efforts in making a gluten-free area, it’s not enough. There needs to be more labeling because gluten is sneaky,” Ainsworth wrote.

Discouraged by the limited options and a fear of cross-contamination, Jillian Ugol (MSB, ’12) hosted a meeting with other gluten-intolerant students in her on-campus apartment in late February. During its second meeting on Monday, the group shared its frustrations about dining on campus.

“[The gluten-free area is] stocked about 50 percent of the time,” Ugol said.

Read the rest of this entry »