Jester dining has been a target of ridicule in the UT community for as long as its doors have been open. I remember being warned about the horrors of Jester City Limits  from an alumnus the day I got my acceptance letter.

Though both students and alumni have not taken kindly to Jester dining in the past, the current student body should consider the compromises JCL and J2 dining  have made in order to run efficiently and keep students fed while maintaining a certain budget.

Kayde Cross, a biology sophomore, expressed that he and his friends avoid Jester dining as much as possible. To him, JCL and J2 lack healthy options and meals have become repetitive.

 “We have better facilities that we could go to (and)  get those things,” Cross said. 

In general, healthy food is a pricier investment than a less nutritious alternative. Studies show that the financial disparity between the least and most balanced diets cost around $1.50 a day, which quickly adds up when you consider the approximately 3,000 students at Jester center and their varying tastes or dietary restrictions.

Despite potential added costs, Jester and UT dining make a clear effort to provide students with ample access to fresh fruits and vegetables every day with a fruit and salad bar.

JCL and J2 also do a better job than the other dining hall on campus of keeping a substantial amount of staple food options in stock every day. The variety alleviates concern for picky eaters who don’t take well to dietary change. 

Shirpa Ganesh, electrical and computer engineering freshman, explained that while Kins Dining has preferable food quality overall, Jester takes the cake when it comes to how many different options are available. 

“I know a lot of people like the big baked potato bar and  the nachos bar at Jester,” Ganesh said.  “And there’s nothing like that at Kins, which I kind of wish there was.” 

Though the food at Kins Dining may taste better to some, consider that Jester dining makes an effort to feed as many people as possible with their plainer, inoffensive options. There’s something for everybody. JCL and J2 are probably not as good as a home-cooked meal, but that should not be the standard for dining hall food.

In evaluating J2 and JCL, it is important to recognize that Jester dining student workers, cashiers, cooks and meal planners are ultimately doing the best they can with the resources they are given. The student body should consider circumstances that are out of staff members’ control.

Bianca Farfan, biology junior and UHD student worker, explains that the people in the kitchen have no control over what gets served and that working at J2 is physically taxing.

“We have nothing to do with the menu,” said Farfan.  

Many of the frustrations students have about Jester dining are out of administration and UT workers’ hands. Consider that staff members are the ones being bad-mouthed when the student body condemns Jester dining, even though they have nothing to do with the (often valid) criticisms.

Hosseini is an International Relations freshman from Sugar Land, Texas.