For many college students, fast food chains provide a quick and inexpensive way to get a tasty meal on the go.
Regardless of how convenient it is to grab food on the fly, when big food chains mix with politics, it only ends up leaving a bad taste in everyone”s mouth.
This is particularly true for the Chick-fil-A controversy that occurred after the company”s CEO declared his opposition to same-sex marriage in 2012 –– a controversy which incited such a tremendous upset that it is still impacting people around the nation, including those at the University of Idaho, today.
The chicken magnate, located in the food court of the Idaho Commons, is the newest dining option available on campus, but its arrival has not been well received by many students, faculty and staff.
There have been no formal protests or much public uproar regarding the issue. However, that does not mean there are a great number of people upset at its arrival. There are some important things to remember about Vandal Dining”s decision to host a Chick-fil-A location.
Despite the CEO of Chick-fil-A”s controversial stance against gay marriage, Vandal Dining is choosing to make the best of a complicated situation by openly supporting the LGBTQA community as well as donating their services to the LGBTQA Office on campus.
The university”s food vendor, run by Sodexo, has committed to catering six monthly dinners hosted by the LGBTQA Office in addition to donating funds to the LGBTQA Emergency Scholarship, a need-based scholarship that aids LGBTQA students who have been financially cut off by their families after coming out.
By agreeing to support UI”s LGBTQA community, Vandal Dining is taking proactive steps to reduce concerns about discrimination from Chick-fil-A.
In addition to understanding that Vandal Dining itself does not endorse the statements made by the company”s CEO and openly supports the LGBTQA community, it”s good to keep in mind that every dining company on campus is held to the same standards of conduct.
While the CEO of the company might embody a controversial opinion, the individuals who staff the store on campus aren”t likely to share that view. University conduct policies would prevent anyone, regardless of which fast food company they work for, from discriminating against students and customers.
Regardless of which stance you take on the issue, the immediate success of the chain on campus has made it clear that Chick-fil-A is here to stay.
Although Vandal Dining is making an effort to keep students on campus as comfortable as possible, it”s OK to still stand in opposition of the chain. At the end of the day, the most important thing is to be mindful of where you spend your money, and to understand that even though the chain now exists on campus, you can choose not to endorse the company.
When it comes to eating more chicken or not, the choice is yours.
– CB