The University of Connecticut Dining Services, without the input of its students, has replaced the dining hall beef patties with a 50% beef and 50% mushroom abomination that they call the "blended burger".

There have been many complaints about the flavor and texture of this new offering, due to its hockey puck like taste and texture. This new "burger" offends the senses and withers the tongue upon contact. Meanwhile, the original 100% beef patties have been removed completely from the menu. This deprives all UConn students of one of the core components of the meal plan, a reliable source of meat. In the past, when the rest of the menu was looking unappealing, UConn students could always count on the hamburger to hold them over to the next meal. No longer. This underappreciated yet delicious apparatus of extruded cow protein has been stripped from the menu without so much as an explanation from the administration. UConn students pay nearly $6,000 per year for their meal plans, and this recent development has severely reduced the variety and quality that students have come to expect.

While it is acknowledged that the university is seeking to introduce healthier options, these should be offered alongside traditional options, instead of replacing them entirely. At the very least, the administration should have asked for student input or released a statement of their intent to change the menu so drastically. This issue is further worsened by the fact that UConn Dining Services holds a monopoly on all meal plans for on campus residents and can make drastic changes to menus with little to no repercussion, while raising prices consistently each year.

This petition seeks to bring this issue to the administration's attention and force them to take action, either by removing the "blended burger" or by bringing back the original beef patty. If you are tired of the UConn administration making decisions that clearly ignore the interests of the students, sign this petition to let Dennis Pierce know.

EMAIL THE DIRECTOR OF DINING SERVICES!

Tell Dennis Pierce about your dissatisfaction with blended burgers.

@ dennis.pierce@uconn.edu