By Dingyi Ling ‘28
Over the past two years at the St. Mark's Dining Hall, students have repeatedly raised concerns about major fluctuations in food quality, driven by visits from those in power. While the dining hall claims its menu consistently offers healthy, appealing meals, many students' daily experiences suggest otherwise. Ultimately, a school exists to serve students, not to impress trustees or parents only when needed to maintain revenue. Students eat here three times a day and shape this community. It can be said that without the students, the dining hall would serve no purpose. However, too often, when those in power visit campus, everything changes overnight. St. Mark's suddenly becomes a different place: the focus snaps to students, the spotlight steadies, and quality spikes—until the visit ends. That pattern signals a deeper problem: students' voices are discounted, while attention gravitates toward whoever controls the spotlight's plug. No one is faulted for being human: we fault the intuition when it calls us "family" but refuse to be honest or accountable about a student's daily life. If St. Mark's truly centers students, it should not just focus on quality when it is put to the test, but also consider students' feedback. In recent years, food quality has improved, but students' voices are not being heard.