There was a long line Friday in the halls of the Ereve building. “Like every day”, explain the regulars of the place. Every noon, students from Rennes-2 University have to wait if they want to have lunch. Faced with a continuous increase in its numbers and the impoverishment of its students, the faculty of human sciences sometimes finds it difficult to offer a decent meal to all its students. At the start of the school year in September, many voices were raised – photo in support – to denounce the low rations served by the Crous. “When you finish school at 12:45, you can’t go to the UK anymore. And there isn’t much left in sandwiches, ”slips Aude, a first-year cinema student. Since then, the situation seems to have improved on the Villejean and La Harpe campuses.
If the queues lengthened almost everywhere in September, it is also because the Crous had decided to close certain catering outlets. What he called his “bistro” had disappeared, as had his creperie, which was nevertheless very popular. The death of one of the emblems of Rennes-2. “We needed the premises in which the creperie was installed to set up our place dedicated to the social and solidarity economy. The Crous seized the opportunity to close it, ”says Marc Bergère, vice-president of heritage and real estate at the university.
Failing in its quest to keep the two eating places open, the Pirate Union syndicate had applied for the management of the places. After a few months of work, the “Pirate Tavern” welcomed its first students on Monday to offer them a crepe and a galette of their choice. “We wanted to offer students another choice than just the Crous sandwich. Here, it’s hot, not very expensive and it fills up well, ”says Théophile Gagnaire, member of the Pirate Union who manages the place.
“Honestly, it was good”
For three weeks, the union offers this formula free of charge to the first 150 arrivals each day. Then it will be charged 2 euros. “Frankly, it was good and I ate enough,” says Camille. A first-year plastic arts student, the young woman appreciates “changing a bit” from the usual Crous meals. “Our idea is to bring diversity,” continues Théophile.
To heat up the four billigs, the association obtained funding for two student jobs from the university. “We can’t manage everything on a voluntary basis,” explains the union. Last year, the same Pirate Union had opened an associative bar within the framework of the participatory budget of the university. With the same objective: To offer solidarity prices to students who want to buy a coffee or a cookie.
Already an associative bar run by students
But isn’t it strange to have to rely on an association to feed the students? “The associative bar is well managed, we trust them. The takeover of the crêperie is a win-win project with a diversified catering offer in a shared space. It was their wish, ”says the vice-president of the university. At the time of free admission, the offer has logically attracted a good number of students. You had to arm yourself with a little patience to taste a complete buckwheat.