Smuggling Food Out of the Dining Commons
Posted: September 3rd, 2022 | Author: ucdcoc | Filed under: Disorientation Guide '22-'23 | Comments Off on Smuggling Food Out of the Dining Commons
“We begin from the simplest of questions: Why, with our astounding capacity for abundance, are people hungry? Why, here atop the most arable soil on the planet, can we not supply meals for everyone? Why, at a university managed by a cadre of millionaires drawing incomprehensibly grand salaries, is there persistent food insecurity?”
“For some people these are very complicated questions. Those people are called economists. For most others, these matters are straightforward. Because we treat food as a commodity it will only be produced if it profits someone, no matter how much we need it. And because we treat food as private property, it can only be had by those who can meet its price, no matter how hungry they are. Who oversees the commodity, who keeps property private, who wields violence and threat of violence to make sure that the hungry stay hungry?”
“These are even simpler questions. As even children know, the answer is the police.”
(Excerpt from “From A Free Latitude. A Free University Begins With Free Food.”)
In 2015, a study commissioned by the University of California Office of the President found that up to 42% of students in the UC system experience “high levels of food insecurity.” While the proposed 2022-2023 budget for the UCD Police (Davis and Sac campuses) is over $14 million, ASUCD’s proposed budget for The Pantry during the same period is 2% of that amount, about $300K. And 90% of that budget comes not from the university but from community donations. No matter what the university says about its commitment to ending food insecurity on campus, these numbers tell us the truth: administrators would – many, many times over – rather pay for police to prevent students from obtaining their basic needs than pay to address those basic, and unmet, needs.
The purpose of this article is to show some ways that students with meal plans can provide food for those struggling with food insecurity. After all, only we as a community can ensure that the whole community is fed.
Smuggling Food and Dishware Out of the Dining Commons:
This guide might disappoint those looking for secret tips and cool tricks because what we’re talking about here takes minimal effort and skill. Simply, don’t pocket things in front of employees and don’t be obvious about it. If you bring tupperware, have it reasonably concealed in a jacket or bag or as you walk out of the Dining Commons. The DCs are understaffed, and the card swipe person is always too busy managing card swipes to notice you walking out with food. The writers of this article have never known someone to have gotten caught or punished for taking food out of the DC. It is easily done. You are missing out on a great opportunity to feed your friends and community if you decide not to smuggle food out of the DCs. Also remember to stay calm — the more nervous you appear, the more someone might suspect that something is off.
Remember, this is by no means a complete list. Keep your eyes and ears open to discovering new foods and methods to ensure your community is fed!
Items That Require Only Pockets and Bags – Take as many as possible for the nearest Freedge:
Fruits: This is the easiest one as the fruit stations in the DC are located in odd places where no one is paying attention to what you’re doing. Just fill your pockets with a couple fruits every meal time for you and your friends. If the DC is busy you can also just whip out your backpack and fill it up to the brim with as many apples, bananas, and oranges to later deposit in a Freedge.
Boiled eggs: In the morning the soup station has a bucket full of boiled eggs. They’re initially quite hot, so give them some time to cool or use a napkin to handle them. Otherwise, they are a good source of morning protein for your fellow students. Put them in pockets, bags, or water bottles and give them to a friend or drop them off at the Freedge. If you drop them at the Freedge just leave a little note with them that has the date they were made. Boiled eggs are good for a week before they start to spoil.
Soy/Dairy: Another source of protein, but this time it can be smuggled out at any time of day. Just go to the mini fridge near the hot water dispensers and pocket or bag the dairy and soy cartons to deposit later at the Freedge. If you are feeling confident, there are also unlocked cupboards below the milk dispensers where you can find large bags of soy and dairy that you can smuggle out of the DC in a bag or puffy jacket.
Tea bags: They’re really small. Just grab a couple handfuls of them for yourself or for a Freedge. That way, everybody can enjoy caffeinated beverages.
Dishware + Silverware: Latitude has good-looking soup bowls that can be used for anything. There’s also a bunch of them by the soup station, which conveniently has a camera blindspot. Otherwise, all the DCs have decent cups, plates, and silverware if you or anybody you know needs those kinds of things.
Items That Require Tupperware/Thermos/Water Bottles:
Panini Press: Make a bunch of sandwiches. Cut them in half before pressing (optional). Press them. Put them in tupperware. If you have a five-day meal plan then this is a great way to ensure you have food for the weekend. If you put them in the Freedge or give them to a friend, just make sure people know the ingredients inside to avoid allergy complications.
Soup Stations: They tend to be stationed away from most things so it’s really easy to fill up a large thermos with soup without anybody noticing. In the morning they also have oatmeal. Both are easily reheatable and make filling meals for later
Fresh Inspirations: It varies what can be found at this location. It’s usually a good spot to grab salad materials and massive amounts of vegetables or kidney beans. They also have cheese and sometimes crackers if you or someone else needs a snack. Just put the stuff in tupperware.
Food from any other station: Just grab a couple plates of extra of food when you are eating your meal and put the extra food in tupperware for a weekend meal if you’re on a five-day meal plan. Or give it to someone you know that it isn’t on a meal-plan or is struggling with food insecurity.
Other Food Resources:
Community Freedges At the MU and at the Silo
Food Not Bombs Serving 1-2pm on the 2nd and 4th Sundays at Central Park (4th & C)
Davis Night Market Monday through Friday 9:00 – 11:00 pm @ Central Park
The Pantry Schedule an appointment on their website; requires a Student ID