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Rumours of cheap lunch had international students pouring in to staff canteen ‘Le Cannibale’. Now a strongly-worded ban in English is to scare them off. There is just not enough space, says deputy manager
Everyone knows that there is no such thing as a free lunch. But now, ravenous, mostly international, students at the city campus are finding out that a cheap lunch is pretty hard to come by too.
This week, a new sign has popped up in the basement canteen ‘Le Cannibale’ at the university administration building on Nørregade 10.
»This canteen is ONLY for employees at the university. No students allowed«.
The printed sign is in English, but the added message »except for those who are writing their Masters thesis.« is written in tiny red writing with a biro in Danish on the bottom.
The University Post caught up with the canteen’s deputy manager Jesper Holm, to find out why the canteen specifically warns off international students.
Apparently, Jesper Holm explains, students writing their Master’s theses (who have a special agreement with the canteen) spread the rumour of good food for next to no money among their fellow students, says Jesper Holm.
But the influx of students, has proven too much for the tiny canteen to bear.
Jesper Holm believes that most of the students were from the nearby Faculty of Law. And when asked why the sign is in English, he responds: »Most of them seemed to be English-speaking. But Danish students are not allowed either«.
At Le Cannibale, guests pay one price and can eat all they like, whereas most other university canteens have a pay-by-weight system, which ‘penalises’ big eaters.
The good food, and the eat-all-you-like concept is apparently attractive to outsiders.
»Actually it is a simple problem of space, people are sitting on each other’s laps as it is,« says canteen deputy manager.
»The canteen was only ever meant for staff, and their food is subsidised. That is why it only costs DKK 32 for all you can eat,« he continues.
luci@adm.ku.dk
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