LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Aug. 27, 2012

Ben Plache
Student

I am writing in response to Katherine Johnson’s recent article, “CEO’s Stance Won’t Stifle Saturday Swipes at Chick-Fil-A.”

While there are many valid arguments on both sides of the debate over CEO Dan Cathy’s recent comments about gay marriage and the role political views have in our consumer choices, none of these arguments can be found in Johnson’s article.

In particular, Johnson falls short in two important areas.

First, Johnson never makes clear what VCU’s financial relationship is with the Chick-Fil-A on campus. Unlike most Chick-Fil-A locations, which are franchises owned by independent operators who maintain a financial relationship with the Chick-Fil-A corporation, VCU’s restaurant is owned and operated by Aramark, the university’s contracted food provider.

Bearing this relationship in mind, can VCU force Aramark to close a food location on campus, and if so, for what reasons? And what is Aramark’s relationship with Chick-Fil-A? Do any student dollars ever make their way back to the Chick-Fil-A corporation, where Dan Cathy works? These are important questions that need to be answered before suggesting any course of action.

Second, and more importantly, Johnson fails to appreciate the distinction between institutional values and personal values. VCU, as a university, has a distinct set of values that include a commitment to promoting diversity and fostering equality, values that are not necessarily shared by each student attending the school.

Allowing a business to operate on campus that has become synonymous with bigotry and inequality is hypocritical, especially considering VCU’s ongoing attempt to promote itself as the most diverse and open campus in Virginia.

The outrage in response to Cathy’s comments show the need for a debate about where we as consumers choose to spend our money, and what these choices mean about us and our community.

VCU, as a community, has time and time again shown that it is committed to creating a diverse, welcoming environment, regardless of the controversy that this commitment may generate. Part of this commitment must be refusing to patronize a business that is associated with values antithetical to the university’s, even if that means that students will have to walk an extra two blocks to Raising Cane’s to buy chicken strips.