Neili Eggert, Dalton Schreiner, Darrian Houser, Austin Chandler, and Josh Cowles

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

UWRT 1102-055 TuTh 2:00-3:15
Closer to Kosher
Broad Theme/Goal
:
The University of North Carolina at Charlottes mission statement states
UNC-
Charlotte maintains a particular commitment to addressing the
cultural
,
economic, educational, environmental, health, and social needs of the greater
Charlotte region.1 However, despite such laudable goals, we believe that the
university has failed to provide basic dietary needs to Hindu, Muslim and Jewish
students. The aim of our research is to shed light on this injustice, and to be a tool to
advocate for change.
StudentscannotkeepaKosherdietoncampusbecausethereisnoKosher
kitchen,Koshercatering,orKosherfoodofferedbytheUniversityorChartwells.
Inhisbook"ToBeaJew"(anexcellentresourceontraditionalJudaism),Rabbi
HayimHalevyDoninsuggeststhatthedietarylawsaredesignedasacallto
holiness.Theabilitytodistinguishbetweenrightandwrong,goodandevil,pure
anddefiled,thesacredandtheprofane,isveryimportantinJudaism.2
EatingKosherisafundamentalpartoftheculturalandreligiousidentityofthe
modernJewishperson.
ThistopicshouldbeextremelyimportanttoUNCCharlotte

ttp://www.UNC-Charlotte.edu/landing/about
h
"Judaism101:Kashrut:JewishDietaryLaws."

Judaism101:Kashrut:JewishDietaryLaws
.N.p.,
n.d.Web.31Mar.2015.
1
2

because,Jewishstudents,Muslimstudents,Hindustudents,andstudentswhohave
certainfoodallergieswouldgreatlybenefitfromhavingaKosherkitchenandKosher
foodoncampus.Addingakosherfoodoptiononcampuswouldhelpstudentssavetime
andmoneybynothavingtogooffcampustomeettheirdietaryneeds.Ifyoutakethe
studentbodyasawhole,undergraduateandgraduatestudents,ourcommunityhas
approximately27,000students3,onethirdofwhich,or9,000students,areJewish,
Muslim,orHinduandwouldbenefitfromhavingKoshercatering,aKosherkitchen,or
Kosherfoodoncampus.Ifyoutakethe9,000studentsandassumeonlyhalfofthese
studentlivesoncampusthatleavesover4,500studentswhomustgooutoftheirwayin
ordertomeettheirbasicdietaryneeds.ThecheapestmealplanofferedbyChartwellsis
4

$2,035forstudents,
whichwhenmultipliedby4,500studentsequals$9,157,500inlost
revenueforthecampusandChartwells.Thesenumbersareobviouslybestcaseestimates,
howeveritstilldemonstrateshowboththestudentbodyandadministrationcanbenefit
fromakosherfoodoption.Providingkosherfoodisnotonlynecessaryforthestudents
oncampus,butalsorepresentsasignificantbusinessopportunityforChartwells.By
providingfoodforkosherstudentsandcreatingmorerevenueforUNCC,ourresearch
willbebothbeneficialtothestudentbodyandUNCC.

ResearchQuestions:
Inordertofacilitateourgoalofprovidinganadvocacytool,andtoinformour
peers,wehavedraftedaseriesofquestionsrelatedtoaccessandavailabilityofkosher

http://admissions.UNC-Charlotte.edu/about-unc-charlotte/university-profile

http://www.dineoncampus.com/UNC-Charlotteharlotte/show.cfm?cmd=residents

foodoncampus.Thesequestionswillserveasaguidelineforourinvestigationintothis
complextopic.
WhyistherenoKosherkitchenoncampusforstudentswhowishtokeep
aKosherdiet,acertainreligiousdiet,orstudentswithcertainfood
allergies?
WhydoesChartwellsnotofferKoshercateringforstudentsorstudent
clubs?
WhyistherenotaKoshervendingmachineorKoshersectionat
Outtakes?
WhydostudentclubswhoneedtokeepKosheroracertainreligious
practicehavetogetanexemptionfromChartwellsforcateringateach
eventwhenChartwellscannotprovidethefood?
WhydoestheUniversityadministratorsallowChartwellstoalienate
studentsbynotprovidingKosherfood,aKosherkitchen,andKosher
catering?
Inordertoanswerthesequestionsweplantouseavarietyoftoolsandmethods,
bothonlineandinperson.Wehavecreatedanonlinesurveyaskingstudentsifthey
wouldliketoseeaKoshermealoptionandhaveaKosherkitchenoncampuswhich
wouldbenefitthecampuscommunity.Unfortunately,duetotimeconstraintsoursurveys
arelimitedtoonlineonly,howevermoststudentsareactiveonlinesowebelievethat,
althoughnotoptimal,onlinesurveyswillstillbesufficienttogetafullpicture.Wehave
createdinterviewquestionstogaintheperspectiveofmembersoftheJewishclub,

Muslimclub,andHinducluboncampus.Aswell,wewillinterviewthepersonincharge
oftheReligious&SpiritualLifeofficeandtheMulticulturalResourceCenteroncampus,
theheadofChartwellsattheuniversity,andtheadministrationattheuniversityto
discusspotentialnextstepsinsolvingthisproblem.Wewillalsohaveadiscussionwitha
localRabbitodiscusskosherlaws,andhowthegreaterJewishcommunitydealswiththis
problem.

Interview/Survey:

ThebestwaytoresearchthetopicofgainingaKosherkitchen,Koshercatering,
andhavingKosherfoodoncampusistoresearchothercampusesinthestate.By
searchingthroughpublicrecords,wewillbeabletogaininsightintohowothercampuses
havegainedortrytogainKosherfoodoncampus.ByaskingaRabbiorImamabout
religiousdietaryrestrictions,themoreknowledgeyougainonthesubject.Wewillalso
investigateChartwellsasacompanyandseeifanyotherschoolstheyarecontactedwith
offerKoshermeals.ByusingthelibraryresearchsiteorGooglescholaryoucanresearch
Kosherfood.Thesesitescanhelpyougainthebackgroundknowledgenecessaryfor
knowingwhatKosherfoodisandwhyitisimportanttocertainreligiousgroups.Reading
KoshercookbooksisanotherwaytoresearchthetopicandtolearnhowtocookKosher
food.
Wehavealsocreatedasurveywhichwillbesentoutthroughthesocialmedia
platformsofFacebook,Email,andTwitter.Weexpecttohavedifficultywithstudents

fillingoutthesurveyduetolackofinterest.Fromtheresultsgatheredsofaronthe
surveywemade,aroundeightypercentofpeopleoncampusdonotknowhowdifficultit
istoobtainfoodbasedonspecialdietaryneedsandwantsUNCCharlotteto
accommodatethesestudents(Schreiner,Dalton.KosherandReligiousDietaryFoods.
Survey.21March2015).Mostoftheparticipantsthattookthesurveyliveoncampus
whileeatingoncampusregularly.Thesestudentsmostlikelydonothaveanywayof
gettingtheirdietaryneedsfromoffcampussources.

Challenges:
Someofthechallengeswefaceinthisresearcharestudentsdonotregularly
checktheiremail,sotheymightnotanswerthesurveysentouttothem.Aresponsefrom
Chartwellsmightnotcomeintimefortheduedateofthisassignment.Theuniversity
administrationmightnotbereceptivetothisresearch.Knowledgefromprevious
experiencesmightshowthattheuniversitydoesnotcarefortheJewishstudentsandtheir
religiousrestrictions.Eventhoughtherearesomechallenges,webelievethisresearch
topicisonewhichmustgoforward.Therearecloseto9,000studentswhoareaffectedby
thelackofaKosherkitchen,Koshercatering,andaKosherfoodoptiononcampus.As
partofthiscommunityandtheuniversitycommunitywemuststandupforeachother.If
wedonotstandupforeachotherthanwhatarewetrulyachievinghereattheUniversity
ofNorthCarolinaatCharlotte?

The student figures above are an estimate and not any official number at the
university.


ResearchSources:
HearttoHeartsMapofKosherFoodonCampus
theheart2heartproject.org/koshermap/
WezoomedinandjustlookedonNorthCarolina.

TabletMagazine(ANewReadonJewishLife)
tabletmag.com/jewishlifeandreligion/160129/kosheroncampus
ArticleforcollegestudentswhokeepKosheroncampus.
TableofcampuseswhichofferKosherfoodfrom1953to
present.
STARKONLINE
www.stark.org/kashrus/kkFirstTasteofjudaism.htm
IthelpstocertifyKosherdininghalls,concessionstands,
andtakeoutfoodlocationsoncampusinthenortheast.
DukeStudentAffairs
studentaffairs.duke.edu/sites/default/files/u7/sh_kosherhealthy.pdf
ExplanationofKosherlawandsDukesdiningoptionsfor
thosewhokeepKosheroncampus.
NortheasternUniversity
www.northeastern.edu/news/2013/08/international/villagenewdin
ingoptions/

 Koshertogostationatnewdininghalllocatedonthe
campusofNortheasternUniversity.
JewishJournal
www.jewishjournal.com/food/article/food_trucks_have_kosher_wi
ll_travel
ArticleaboutKosherfoodtrucksthatstopofuniversity
campuses.
NewVoices(Newsandviewsofcampusjews)
newvoices.org/2012/02/15/0125/
ArticleaboutKosherfoodnotjustbeingforjewishstudents
oncampus.NorthwesternUniversityisusedasanexample,
Chabad
www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/789559/jewish/KosherOpti
onsExpandonCampuses.htm
ArticleaboutnewKoshereateriesonAmericanuniversity
campuses.UniversityofMiamiisoneoftheexamples.
ChartwellsOptionsatUNCCharlotte
www.dineoncampus.com/unccharlotte/
Weusedthisformealplanprices,placestoeatoncampus,
andcateringoptionsofferedbyChartwells.
aux.uncc.edu/dining
Usedtofindvegetarianandveganoptionsoncampus.

 uncc.catertrax.com
ChartwellsUNCCharlottecateringonlineorderingsite.
www.dineoncampus.com/unccharlotte
/show.cfm?cmd=residents
MealPlanpricesforfreshmenandupperclassmenlivingon
campusthatrequireamealplanpurchase.WeUsedthe
cheapestfreshmenandthesecondmostexpensive
upperclassmenof$2,035persemesterforourfigures
above.
Judaism101describingthedietarylawsandtheirimportance:

"Judaism101:Kashrut:JewishDietaryLaws."
Judaism101:Kashrut:
JewishDietaryLaws
.N.p.,n.d.Web.31Mar.2015.

KosherChartwellsoptionsatothercampuses
depalcatering.com/menu/specials
Koshermenuofferedwith4dayminimumnotice.Thisis
anexampleofChartwellsofferingKoshercateringfor
students,faculty/staff,andstudentorganizations.
www.dineoncampus.com/umbc/show.cfm?cmd=kosherDining
ExampleofKosherdiningofferedthroughChartwellsat
UMBCthatisintheUniversityofMarylandsystem.
unihub.mdx.ac.uk/mdx/announcements/chartwellsnewrangefeb13.a
spx

 ChartwellsintroducesnewHalal(Islamicversionof
Kosher)andkosherrangeatMiddlesexUniversityin
London,England.