The new meal plan implemented at the beginning of the semester has caused a commotion amongst students who are not happy with the change.
“I’m extremely frustrated with the new plan as it has not allowed me to get the quantity of food that I had become used to in the past years,” Junior Caden Rehmeier said. “When I go to SubConnection, I can no longer get the footlong as it costs me two boards compared to last year when I could use one board and a little flex to get it.”
This opinion is not only shared by Rehmeier, as a petition has been going around online advocating for Simpson to change the meal plan back to what it was in previous years.
This new meal plan change is different in that Simpson has transitioned from having all boards and flex given to a student at the start of the year to a weekly plan, with a set amount for each week.
UPDATE: According to Student Government Association (SGA) minutes Wednesday, “The time restriction for boards has been removed! This was big conern for students, especially those who are off campus during a significant portion of the day of student teaching, internships, etc. Luckily, it was removed before campus was back in full swing with the help of the student petition that went around campus.”
Matt Hansen, Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life, addressed why Simpson transitioned to this new meal plan.
“The previous plan offered great flexibility for students,” he said. “But it also led to some serious problems because many students would run out of food before the end of the term.”
With the previous year’s plan, students were able to use their boards to buy anything that added up to $7, whether that be multiple drinks, snacks or a single sandwich. With the new plan, boards are reserved for a meal, which includes an entre (sandwich, salad, wrap, etc.), a side (salad, chips, fries, etc.) and a drink (fountain pop, a bottle of milk or juice).
“Students who are athletes, who eat a lot of food, need to have large amounts of calories available to them to perform at a high level and with the amount of boards I have a week I don’t see myself being able to consume those needed calories for my sport,” Rehmeier said.
However, Hansen believes that with this change the majority of students will be better off and he has been in contact with students that he encounters throughout campus to get their opinions on the new meal plan.
“I think there are some students who may say that they can’t get enough food, hopefully they are going to Pfeiffer where it is all you can eat. There are good options available there, but students have to seek them out,” Hansen said.
Hansen understands that in previous years, Pfeiffer has not been appealing to students, as the food may not have been enticing, but he believes that the dining hall is improving, as he himself has eaten there several times this year.
Simpson will be continuing to listen to feedback from students and will be having a meeting on Thursday, Sept. 7, where students can come forth with ideas on changes they think should be made.
For questions regarding meal plans, you can contact Ben Nielsen, Sodexo’s general manager, at [email protected].
