Chicago Students to Boycott School Lunches

To protest the quality of school lunches, a group of civics students at Theodore Roosevelt High School (RHS) have called for a district-wide boycott of lunches on Thursday served by Chicago Public Schools. The students created “The School Lunch Project” in order to raise awareness about the poor quality of food served at Roosevelt High, citing the partnership between the school with food service provider Aramark as the leading cause. Students stated that their lunches were on par with those at Cook County prison, another business with which Aramark is partnered. According to the School Lunch Project, “lots of people at RHS don’t eat meat,” but the school serves only two rotating options—pizza or a hamburger—along with rotten fruit or frozen fruit cups and processed packaged foods. While many college campuses across the country have added vegan options to their school menus, the Chicago School District—the third largest in the nation—has not modified menus accordingly. During the protest, free vegan lunches will be provided by The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.