Submission: Law students call for healthier options at Lu Valle

We are thrilled that UCLA has prioritized

the goals expressed in the Healthy Campus Initiative. ASUCLA has expressed an unwavering
commitment to these goals of healthy, fresh and tasty food, available for those
of us who frequent Lu Valle Commons.

During the 2012-2013 school year, a survey by the law school’s student government showed that the hundreds who work and study at the law school wanted healthier, fresher and better-tasting food options available at Lu Valle (we refer to all food offerings in the Jimmy’s Coffee House/Lu Valle complex). This information was presented to ASUCLA, which agreed that changes should be made. ASUCLA stated that the entire facility would be revamped, similar to what was done at the North Campus Student Center. We were told this would happen over the summer of 2013.

Unfortunately, the summer of 2013 came and went without any significant changes. This year, a representative of the Food Law Society met with ASUCLA to request a status update and was told that Lu Valle renovations no longer have a firm timeline and the menus will not be changing until complete renovations occur.

We understand that ASUCLA must balance the needs of everyone who frequents Lu Valle along with the needs of the broader campus community, and this has resulted in some delays. However, considering the goals of the Healthy Campus Initiative and the law school’s recent addition of the Resnick Program for Food Law and Policy, we are disheartened that we at the law school have seen no progress in our own backyard.

Eating fresh, healthy and delicious food as a law student or member of the law school faculty or staff is not an easy choice. It’s a difficult choice.

We want to be a healthy community. We request immediate action regarding this goal, a goal shared by the undersigned students, faculty and staff at the law school.

·Request 1: We request an updated, concrete timeline commitment for the implementation of the Healthy Campus Initiative at Lu Valle.

·Request 2: We request immediate steps to make more healthy options available to the law school faculty, staff and students.

We value the partnership between ASUCLA and the broader campus to make UCLA a healthy place to study and work. We hope these shared values will enable this letter to be seen as another attempt to keep communication channels open because our attempts at dialogue have not effectively addressed our concerns.

We at the Food Law Society eagerly await your response, which we will share with the signatories and the wider law school community.