Students, faculty and staff have had opportunity to answer that question in the cafeteria since Feb. 14, the date that Sodexho Marriott started administrating La Sierra Food Services. For years, several area colleges have contracted with the self-described "leading food and facilities management services company in North America." Across the nation, more than 500 colleges contract Sodexho Marriott for food service administration.

But can a corporate behemoth successfully satisfy the tastes and dietary sensibilities of a small Seventh-day Adventist college? In other words, can they get the vegetarian thing right?

Not to worry, says Tom Adkins. The new La Sierra Food Services director (and Sodexho Marriott general manager) has extensive experience with vegetarian meal plans. "And our company is big enough that we've dealt with just about every situation imaginable," he said.

Adkins said his recent work at Scripps College, an all-women's college and part of the Claremont Colleges, gave him some experience with his company's vegetarian meal programs. "Many of the female students requested an all-vegetarian diet and it was easy to implement this," said Adkins, who graduated in 1976 with a business administration degree from Biola University, La Mirada.

Prior to working at La Sierra, Adkins has worked at Scripps and Pomona colleges in Claremont, Westmont College in Santa Barbara and Weber State University in Ogden, Utah.

La Sierra contracted with Sodexho Marriott to improve efficiency in the Food Service Department, said Jorge Heyde, vice president for financial administration. Because the Gaithersburg, Md.-based corporation buys food in large volumes, the savings associated with higher volume purchasing can be passed on to its clients. Adkins said the company's extensive experience with catering should mean La Sierra Food Services will be better equipped to handle more events on campus.

Since part of the negotiated contract between La Sierra and Sodexho Marriott calls for the employment of Adventists, there have been few changes in food service personnel - all of whom remain La Sierra employees. Former food service director Esther Espinoza retired on Jan. 1 and Barbara Hansen, former Food Service office manager, is now working in the accounting department as a junior accountant.

Change could be afoot, however, in menu offerings, Adkins said. Food service personnel will start conducting surveys to determine what students would like to see. And new entrée offerings have been implemented that reflect the ethnic diversity of the La Sierra student body. Don't be surprised to see spicier foods and Latin favorites, the new food director says.