The Shorthorn - Students frustrated by losing meals, money

Students frustrated by losing meals, money

Written by Alanna Quillen

Tuesday, 25 November 2008 09:00 PM

Students on meal plans can’t roll over their meal allowances into the next semester. The university does not offer refunds for unused meals, but students’ remaining dining dollars, which can be used in the Plaza Food Court, transfer to the spring semester. (Photo Illustration: Andrew Buckley)

Logan Konty didn’t expect to lose almost $300 at the end of the semester.

As an Arlington Hall resident, Konty is required to have one of the four meal plans the university offers. Although he uses one of the cheaper meal plans the university has stipulations on when he can eat meals.

“I have already paid for a certain number ... and there are no refunds for meals I don’t use,” he said.

Konty paid for the $1,260 Gold Plan which offers students 220 meals per semester in the Connection Cafe and $150 in dining dollars.

He encountered his first problem with the plan when he ate a small lunch at the Connection Cafe around 11:30 a.m. He went to the gym with a friend for about an hour, and when they came back to the café, Konty wasn’t allowed in because he ate an hour earlier.

“Not only was I not able to eat lunch with my friend, but I was forced to remain hungry until I was allowed back in the Connection Cafe,” he said.

If he’s required to have a meal plan to live at Arlington Hall, then he could be able to eat anytime.

“We should either have freedom to consume our meals whenever we please, or we should be refunded for meals we don’t use,” he said.

International business freshman Canyon Wendt, a Kalpana Chawla Hall resident, feels the same way. Wendt also has the Gold Plan and currently has 116 meals left, which he must use in less than three weeks.

“I think it’s ridiculous that we have to pay that much,” he said. “I know for some of my friends, these are the only meals they get, so it can be frustrating.”

He wouldn’t mind the plan if he were able to share them with his friends and family.

“If my dad comes to visit the campus, he can’t even get a meal from the plan that he’s paying for,” he said.

Dining Services director Elizabeth Cheong said that it’s important for students to look at their schedules to see what times they can eat. She also added that friends and family are able to use dining dollars, but not meal plans.

“Meals are for the students only to ensure that they have enough meals throughout the semester,” she said.

Dining dollars roll over from the fall to the next semester, expiring at the end of the spring semester, but meal allowances don’t roll over.

Cheong said meal allowances are designed to carry students throughout the semester.

“There are currently four allowable meal swipes per day for each student,” she said. “Allowing more than four per day will quickly deplete students out of meals before the end of the semester.”

Cheong is part of the Food Service Committee, which meets monthly to discuss the likes, concerns and nutrition of students.

Resident assistants from each residence hall speak on behalf of the students.

She said Dining Services hasn’t received any complaints and that the percentage of students who lose money is low.

Konty, Wendt and other students have lost money at the end of this semester.

“It’s not as bad for me as it is for my parents,” he said. “I’m just frustrated with the system they have in place.”
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 15 January 2009 03:16 PM )

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