At The Columbus School, students are battling between their options; Servi Express vs home-packed lunch, their chosen alternative reflects commodity, convenience, food quality, and organization.
During the lunchtime dilemma, crucial factors come to light in the preference for one side over the other. Mostly girls, with a few boys, opt for home-packed lunches, preferring variety and quality in their food. The other option is Servi Express, which is the food company at The Columbus School in Medellín, Antioquia, during the morning it has snack options, and lunches it has multiple options like, meat, pasta bar, salad bar, the menu of the day, sandwiches and burritos/tacos. Meanwhile, the Servi Express users seek a fast service and commodity, despite mixed food reviews, highlighting the sacrifices and benefits each option provides.
While some Servi Express users may find comfort in the menu options, others strongly disagree, disliking most of the food. For instance, Isabel Acosta, an 11th-grade student, started bringing food from home as the limited options in Servi Express failed to satisfy her culinary preferences.
“ I used to be in Servi Express. I was in it for multiple years, but it felt like I had run out of options and I ended up eating the same option every single day, so I decided to start bringing food from home,” Isabel Acosta said.
Another aspect that TCS students consider when choosing a lunch option is efficiency. Students who bring a lunch box to school often spend extra time preparing their food, and some individuals are not willing to do that. Santiago Lopez, 11th grade student and year representative, mentions that when bringing lunch from your house can have some complications related to organization and responsibility.
“In Servi Express I just have to do a line and choose what option I want to eat. Instead, with a lunchbox I have to make sure that it is organized, not forgetting it at home, and then having to heat it, so I think just doing the line is better,” Santiago Lopez said.
Lopez also feels that the lines at the microwaves are slower, which highlights his preference for the fast and organized service that Servi Express provides.
“I think that the lines at the cafeteria (Servi Express) are faster, but I also think that the problems with the other lines (home-packed lunch) are the microwaves. Considering that the year representative has gotten some new microwaves that are going to be installed in the cafeteria, this problem might improve,” Lopez stated.
When students think of their health, they can start questioning the food quality of the lunch options. 11th-grade student Daniela Zapata, along with others, highlights their concerns about the variety and healthiness of the Servi Express options they enjoy. Not all students find all the choices appealing, leaving them with limited, potentially less healthy alternatives.
“I prefer eating lunch from my house because I think it is healthier since I can prepare my own balanced meal, because when I was in servi express, the options I liked included processed meats and things like that,” Daniela Zapata said.
Moreover, with health becoming a part of the daily routine for some high school students, there’s a growing desire to balance their lunches strategically. With individuals who prefer larger portions of protein may or have dietary preferencesIsabel Acosta points out that Servi Express can be less accommodating in meeting those goals.
“I do feel that in school (Servi Express) there are not many options that accommodate certain dietary preferences, and I feel that for many people that are passionate about fitness or go to the gym would prefer to bring food from home,” Acosta said.
