A grasshopper was found in a student’s food in the Viking Commons at Western Washington University on Feb. 23, 2025.
Phiney Parent, a first-year student at Western, reportedly found a cooked grasshopper in the kale that had been served to him at the north campus dining hall.
The 19-year-old arrived at the Viking Commons on a Sunday, roughly an hour after the 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. dinner service began.
“It wasn't the biggest shock in the world, but it was not at all what I was expecting,” Parent said.
Once meeting with friends at the dining hall, Parent filled a plate with fries, rice, cooked cauliflower and sauteed kale. After he began eating, he found the grasshopper hidden inside the leaves of the kale.
Parent shared the photos with his friends on Discord, and other students in the dining hall took their own photos as well.
The discovery soon gained traction and was shared to the Western Washington University YikYak page, a third-party anonymous message-board app, by Sasha Parry. There, it received significant traction, garnering 131 upvotes and 18 comments the same day it was posted.
Parry, a second-year student, was present at the dining hall when the grasshopper was found.
“[Parent] was walking around the dining hall with the grasshopper on the spoon and was showing it off to people like, ‘Oh my god, look at this,’” Parry said. “I took a photo of it and I posted it cause I was like ‘This is insane.’”
While surprised, Parent was not as phased as one may expect.
“For the most part, we're all so sick of the dining hall food anyway that this is at least interesting,” Parent said. “It makes us want to eat the food slightly less, but we weren't expecting quality food in the first place.”
Despite the incident, Parent shared that it wouldn’t necessarily affect his choice of dining location in the future, as the location of the Viking Commons is convenient for him and his friends.
Shortly after the picture was posted, The Front reached out to Chartwells, the company that manages Western’s dining halls.
Resident District Manager Paul Wilson-Scott was quick to respond, emphasizing they had been made aware of the incident and were already looking into it.
“We take all reports regarding food quality very seriously,” Wilson-Scott wrote in an email. “While we launched an immediate investigation into this claim, we have been unable to substantiate it.”
While Chartwells’ food safety protocols are set by the Washington State Department of Health, Wilson-Scott explained that Chartwells will be making this information more prominent on their website. They are also working on a food safety and sanitation video series that will be posted on their social media pages.
If students feel uncomfortable talking to on-site staff regarding food issues, Chartwells encourages the use of their anonymous text-to-chat lines, found here.
“The best way for us to address concerns effectively is through direct reporting,” said Wilson-Scott. “When students notify us in real time, our team can investigate, take corrective action, and ensure that our high standards are upheld.”
Adeline Roesler-Begalke (she/her) is a first time reporter for The Front this quarter. She is a public relations major and a hopeful film studies minor. When not reporting, you can expect to find Adeline on her couch watching movies with her friends. You can reach her at adelinerb.thefront@gmail.com.
Jae Ranney (they/them) is a campus news reporter for The Front this quarter. They are a second-year journalism news/ed major. When they’re not hounding you for a quote or chasing a lede, they enjoy playing the drums in their metal band, or making folk music with their guitar and banjo. You can reach them at jaeranney.thefront@gmail.com.
