The Washakie Dining Center has been a staple at the University of Wyoming since it was built in 1967. Students congregate there to eat, spend time with friends, and engage in the community. Over the years, however, students have raised concerns about the quality of food at Washakie, including overall taste and the standard to which the food is prepared. One major concern of Ainslie Ross, a UW sophomore, is whether the food served at Washakie has been prepared properly.
When asked what she would improve about Washakie, Ross said she would “make sure all the meat is cooked all the way.”
Another issue students are finding with the Washakie Dining Center is a need for more variety. For example, this year, Washakie has started serving the same meals for both lunch and dinner. One anonymous student said they found the lack of options challenging, and usually opt to only eat one meal at Washakie a day.
“It’s super, super hard to eat the exact same meal for lunch and dinner every day,” the student said.
Additionally, this anonymous student feels that the quality of the food served at Washakie is not worth the price students pay per plate, especially considering bonus items like the fruit bar, salad bar, and sandwich bar are seldom fully stocked for both lunch and dinner. “They’ve raised prices but intensely decreased quality,” the student said.
As a result of a lack of variety and subpar food quality, many students have low expectations of Washakie Dining Center.
“I’d say it’s decent, I mean, it’s college cafeteria food,” Cooper Dewitt, a sophomore, said. “It’s better than a cold ham and cheese sandwich.”
But is “better than a cold ham and cheese sandwich” the best Washakie Dining Center can do for the students who eat there? Improving the quality of food at Washakie is one thing the University of Wyoming can do to attract students and keep their current students happy.
