Looking for a good meal on campus? The Loaded Ladle is a student-run food co-operative that serves meals from locally grown sources. The Ladle began this year when a few students from previous foodie groups joined together to offer new food options to students on campus. In the March DSU elections, 麻豆传媒 students overwhelming voted to fund the new society through a $2 student levy.
Alexander Gopen, a fourth-year sociology student, has been involved with the group since its creation in September. He says the group wanted to get as many students involved by having all 麻豆传媒 students as members.
Vegetarian
鈥淲e could have charged for meals but we wanted meals to be available to everyone,鈥� says Mr. Gopen. 鈥淲e want students to have ownership of the group and be able to participate.鈥�
Don鈥檛 expect any meat in Ladle meals. All meals are vegan. Ironically, most of the Ladle鈥檚 members aren鈥檛 vegan. 鈥淲e wanted the food to be accessible to everyone,鈥� says Mr. Gopen. 鈥淲e understand there aren鈥檛 good food choices for vegans and we wanted people to know vegan food can taste good.鈥�
鈥淔ood creates a great sense of community,鈥� says Krista Holman, a first-year environmental studies student. 鈥淚鈥檓 learning more about vegan food and really enjoying it.鈥�
How the Ladle will provide services remains an issue. Society members plan to offer meals at least once a week although the society does not have a permanent space on campus to prepare and serve meals. Currently meals are prepared ahead of time in local kitchens close to campus. Space within the Student Union Building is unavailable.
Details to be ironed out
Details on how the society runs are also a work in progress. Currently the society operates as a co-op without the usual executive model. Their business plan includes creating a Board of Directors to oversee the general function of the society. 鈥淚t鈥檚 tempting to have one person in charge of everything,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e want people to have the opportunity to participate in major decisions.鈥�
The Loaded Ladle Society will have its first AGM on Friday, April 15 at 4:30 p.m. in the NSPIRG office in the Student Union Building.
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