When it comes to working with food, NIU students consider it taboo.

Jerry Arshem, food service student manager at Grant Towers South, said, “We’ve had quite a number of people apply this semester,” although he said that toward the end of the semester, everyone “gets the blues” and wants to study.

Student managers sometimes have had to clean trays in the dishroom because of the shortage of workers. “It has gotten better and management has not had to provide that service as frequently as the beginning of the semester,” said Ralph Chaplin, university food service administrator.

“When we’re short of people, the manager helps out wherever he can,” Arshem said.

Chaplin said, “We never have reached 100 percent employment, but we’re no worse off than last semester.”

Food service employs 1000 students at Douglas Hall, Grant Towers, Lincoln Hall, Stevenson Towers and the Holmes Student Center.

University Food Services began an incentive program last semester to attract more students. The program allows food service employees who live off-campus to purchase cafeteria meals for 50 percent less than the regular guest meal rate. Current guest meal tickets cost $3 for breakfast and $4.50 for lunch and dinner, except for Sunday dinner, which is $3.75.

The incentive program has been more attractive to students already employed in foodservice, Chaplin said. The program did not “drastically increase” the number of people applying to work in foodservice, he said.

University Food Service is not the only organization that has had difficulty hiring students this year. Warren Johnson, owner of Iroquois Concessions in Stillman Valley, said he also has battled this problem.

Johnson has been in charge of concessions for all NIU home football and basketball games since 1982. Iroquois Concessions is a family-owned business, with Johnson and his wife and daughter supervising the concession stands.

Johnson has not been able to hire students, even with advertising, he said. About 50 people work during football games, and more people work during Homecoming, Johnson said.

Basketball games require 18 people at the concession stands, which open before a game starts and close after halftime.

NIU Athletic Business Manager Patty Perkins said NIU especially needs hawkers, who carry trays of soft drinks or hot chocolate up and down the stands during games.

“For some reason or another, it’s a problem to get students to work for minimum wage in food service areas. It’s a carry-over from food service (with) not always pleasant working conditions,” Perkins said.

“We really depend on students to work. That’s the biggest problem,” she said.