Over winter break, I intended to purge my contract with Guilford College binding me to eat at the cafeteria. I did not know what I was in for; no one warned me. Students argue that the food served in Guilford’s cafeteria is not the best. Others may say the food is no good at all. Food in the cafeteria meets all of the requirements to be classified as food except for tasting like food.
In the real world, people have choices about where they spend their money for food. Resident students at Guilford, however, must pay for the meal plan unless they have an elaborate excuse.
A doctor’s note or religious conflict is the most common way of getting off the meal plan.
“It is B.S. that you have to pay for a doctor to get off of the meal plan,” said sophomore Rania Daystar. Daystar is one of the few resident students to get off the meal plan.
Another reason to get off the plan, Daystar explains, is that “it is cheaper to eat off the meal plan that it is on it.”
Why should students pay for food they do not like? Would we pay for any other service we do not like?
“Because Guilford is a residential college and students are required to live on campus, a meal plan program which complements the residential program is offered as well,” said Mona Olds, Dean of Student Life.
For those of us trapped eating at the cafeteria: Have faith, one day we may develop a disease from the food and free ourselves from our cafeteria contracts.
So what can we do to make the meal plan better? Talk to our Senate representatives.
“Change in meal plans has been discussed extensively with Student Senate,” said Martin (Marty) Woodward, General Manager of Guilford’s dining service. “Any student wishing to share their ideas should contact their Senate Representative, come to Senate meetings when these topics are discussed, or simply contact me at [email protected].”
So if you are thinking about stopping your meal plan privileges, be warned; it may not be easy. As for me, I am still eating at the cafeteria. I admitted defeat to another semester of eating the “food.”
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