Seth Eckert
Meal plans, and food in general, can be a hot topic for discussion here at Mount St. Mary’s. Many students find problems with Patriot Hall, stating a lack of food diversity, food quality and the meal plan system in general. To address this, the Student Government Association (SGA) recently passed a bill that seeks to amend some of the more prominent issues regarding Patriot and the meal plans. For further insight into this topic, Dean of Students, Dr. White, was interviewed to see if she could share some insights into potential changes coming to the food system here at the Mount.
One of the biggest issues for students at the University regarding food stems from the lack of options and flexibility in the meal swipe plans. When discussing the SGA bill, White said that “One of the things that is in the bill is looking at meal swipes. Can we make meal swipes more flexible?
If you have 21 meal swipes per week, can they roll over either on a weekly basis, or on a monthly basis? Or can you use more than one meal swipe at mealtime?” White elaborated that it was important that the Mount offered more options, so that students would not feel like they were wasting their money. If a student were to say not eat breakfast, why shouldn’t they be able to use two swipes at lunch, or save that breakfast swipe for another day?
The other major part of the SGA’s new food bill would be regarding the issues of food quality and variety. White disclosed how the bill called for the formation of a ‘food committee’ that would meet every so often to ensure the effectiveness of the bill. The bill itself would call for a review of the options offered by Patriot Hall, asking if there were enough options for those who needed it. Things such as an increase in vegan options, or an increase in protein options for athletes were examples targeted by this bill.
One thing of note that White did address was the rumors regarding the potential for unlimited swipes, or all you can eat options at Patriot. “I always get asked about, like all you can eat options…The challenge with doing an all you can eat system at the Mount, is with how Patriot is set up.” While other colleges had food halls built with buffet styled systems in mind, Patriot Hall was not. So, while not entirely dismissing the idea of all you can eat, the student body should not expect it any time soon.
The final thing White spoke with us about was the topic of meal plan pricing. Should students be living on campus in Bradley, Pangborn, Powell, Sheridan or Terrace, they must purchase a meal plan. The problem with these meal plans is that despite their differing contents, they all cost the same amount. As we spoke with White, not all students wanted to pay for these large meal plans, when they were only eating once or twice a day. If a student is already not eating their three meals a day, why would they want hundreds of dollars in flex to spend on more food that they would not eat?
Like with all the previous problems stated, this issue will be addressed with the introduction of the SGA’s food bill. While the time frame is uncertain, the University’s student body should enjoy the fruits of this bill in the coming months.
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