John Jay is set to modify the services offered by Aladdin Campus Dining in the campus dining hall. While some have embraced the new offerings with enthusiasm, others remain skeptical and disappointed by the recent developments.

Based on the recent email of important announcements for students sent by Mark Flower, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the college, on October 31st, some say John Jay was biting off more than they could chew. 

“​​While we feel that it is important to have food service available on campus, it currently operates at a loss, costing the college more than we can sustain,” he said. “We are therefore working to reduce these costs to ensure the long-term viability of food services on campus,” said Flower.

One of the major announcements included that Aladdin will no longer provide food service for the Faculty Dining Room, and JJay’s Cafe will be permanently closed. 

Professor Edward Snajdr, Chair of the Department of Anthropology shared his opinions on this matter. 

“As a faculty member I try to be open to new ideas and adjustments to the college campus environment because I know that there is an administrative team that deliberates and makes decisions hopefully for the benefit of the college,” he said. “At the same time, when changes do occur, I try to give things a few weeks in order to see if it’s an improvement or if we might need to reconsider. In the case of Aladdin dining, I am not happy with it,” said Snajdr.

When it comes to the faculty dining hall, Professor Snajdr stated “the transition period, or roll out, when you newly open and supposedly put your best foot forward was inconsistent.” 

Snajdr counted many issues that were apparent in his experience at the campus dining hall. 

“Sometimes there were utensils available, sometimes not. The set up and checkout system did not work smoothly, card only in some lines, cash accepted in others. Why not both?” he said. 

Snajdr also questioned whether students can afford the prices.

 “As far as I have heard from many other students, the old vendor was better,” he concluded. 

Faculty and professors are not ecstatic about the faculty dining losing its food services. 

Ali Senatore, Food Service Director at John Jay, commented on the new scheduling changes. 

 “CUNY and Aladdin leadership mutually agreed to modify services based on current usage,” she said. “The dining hall usage level was minimal after the 3 p.m. time frame. Fridays were surprisingly slow as well.” 

New hours of operation include 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, and 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Friday.

In previous semesters, the dining hall would shut down around 7 p.m. for students who stayed on campus for evening classes. Students taking evening classes are not happy with the new schedule for the dining hall. These new updates will certainly impact John Jay’s community. 

 “I do not understand why a food service vendor could not figure out demand times, service structures, and volume of food to offer throughout the day and choices that students like,” said Professor Snajdr.

Selah Neary, a forensic psychology major, agrees. “I find it pretty disappointing that John Jay continues to do things not in the students’ best interest. I understand if they can’t afford certain things, but closing the dining hall at 3 p.m.? Some people are at school until 10 o’clock at night. We cannot rely on the school for anything anymore. They only care about money and it shows” Neary said. 

The new hours will restrict students who come in for classes starting at 3 p.m. and beyond from utilizing the dining hall. However, Senatore proposed a solution for this matter. 

“For students, we will continue to look at student needs and class schedules. We will modify services as we continue to understand our business model and what makes sense fiscally for CUNY JJ…we will look into modifying our staff schedules and accept cash all the way to close.”

Senatore was also asked about additional upcoming changes and healthier additions to the dining hall, which might help redirect student attention from focusing solely on the modifications in Aladdin.

“We are working on creating a self-serve pay-by-weight global entrée station. This will require some minor construction by CUNY facilities to make it happen. Once complete, we are confident that we will be able to offer authentic global cuisine to include Latin, Asian, African, and Caribbean foods,” said Senatore.

When interviewing students at John Jay in regards to the quality and pricing of food, there seems to be diverse experiences and insights regarding the recent updates. 

“Last semester, no cook would acknowledge me because they’d usually be in their own conversations, but now they have forms with names and you checkmark what you want. It wasn’t implemented until the second or third week of the semester but it’s more organized now,” said Kailynn Noble,  a cell and molecular biology student.

When trying the breakfast option, Noble stated it was not up to her standards. “I got breakfast, bacon and scrambled eggs for $5. I did not like the fact that the bacon was wet” she said. Noble also stated to take note of the portion size as well, as it wasn’t enough to fill her up for a long day ahead. 

Kateri Diviny, a sophomore forensic psychology student said she enjoys a majority of what she purchases, especially the breakfast options, which is the opposite of Noble’s experience. “I don’t tend to go for their lunches, but I’ve liked their weekly menus like the pasta bar and arepas. The mac and cheese is also a great bet” stated Diviny. 

It was promoted that Aladdin would implement halal options for Muslim students. A sign is plastered in the cafe stating that all chicken in the dining hall is 100% halal and hand-slaughtered meat. This includes the hot food area as well as the salad bar.

The Food Service Director says they are “in the process of expanding offerings by bringing in more of a variety of Kosher style and halal grab and go options.”

“During freshman year, I wasn’t sure what was halal or not, and sometimes it’s normal to get a little shy when expressing a food restriction. I would mainly eat snacks instead of meals and I would have lunch elsewhere,” said Anisa Rahman, a junior majoring in political science with a minor in creative writing.

Anisa expressed her gratitude, “With more inclusive food options, I feel welcome in the dining hall as a Muslim student. It’s definitely convenient when I have back-to-back day on campus and can’t afford the time to run out to buy lunch” she said. 

Students also have access to meal deals, where they can get access to a combination of meals and purchases for discounted prices. There are deals such as a free soft drink or free fries with purchases.

Discounts are a fundamental resource for students, especially now that catering costs are set to be adjusted. 

 “Catering costs will be adjusted to align with and be comparable to Morton Williams and Justino’s in terms of price and quantity,” said Flower.

Although there are many changes to be made, and the community is still adjusting to this new schedule, Ali Senatore is staying positive. “Rather than thinking of us as a vendor, we’d like to function as a partner to John Jay” said Senatore. “We’re not only here to serve our students and guests, we want students to feel at home when they dine with us.”