With so many different meal plans available and multiple different currencies that one can use, I, along with many of my peers, may become overwhelmed by choice. With my article today, I will navigate all the twists and turns that come with eating three meals a day.
First of all, meal swipes must be included in this ideal meal plan. That may seem to be an easy task, but it can become repetitive and dull in mere weeks. A solution to this dilemma could be broadening your horizons. I live in Sargent, so walking to Boyd Dining Hall to utilize my meal swipes to eat unique foods such as mac and cheese, cheese quesadillas and grilled cheese is easy. There is slightly more choice than the options I gave, but my point still stands as the food options at Boyd run thin rather quickly.
One solution for this dilemma is to make the trek down to Nelson Dining Hall, but my rebuttal to that idea is this: I’m a college student who is constantly tired and is trying to live my most efficient life. Why would I embark on a 15-minute journey across campus just to chow down on dining hall pizza, burgers and many other generic foods? There is no logical world where exerting that much energy makes sense.
Either dining hall option seems ideal, however, compared to the alternative of spending actual money. We live in a world where one has to cough up a hard-earned $10 bill for one Chipotle burrito or bowl, not including drinks or chips which one would assume is necessary in enjoying the meal. Inflation has a vice grip on Ohio University and I won’t stand for this blasphemy. Do restaurants and fast food places think college students are made of money? I hate to break it to them, but it’s quite the opposite. I’m not trying to take out a second mortgage just to accomplish the task of replenishing my body.
In my eyes, the ideal meal plan would give a college student the ability to have two meal swipes at a dining hall and one meal swipe at any non-Ohio-affiliated establishment within Athens. The one meal swipe at a non-Ohio establishment would have a limit to what could be spent, let's say $15. That would alleviate the problem of not getting a full meal from any given place of eating.
I’d also get rid of Bobcat Cash. For those who don’t know, Bobcat Cash is money for utilities such as printing out documents and laundry. We already have flex points, which allow students to buy non-dining hall food from Ohio-affiliated eateries. There should be no requirement for two currencies that only differ in name. I am in favor of meal swipes also working at the many different markets that can be found in Ohio, so I’d also be fine with keeping that around.
Variety is the spice of life. Particularly in college, students must explore all the eating options that are presented to them. When the best options are locked away behind an expensive paywall, it can be tough for students to find the foods they find most enjoyable. With my meal plan, that problem would be solved while also keeping the dining halls as the main source of food income for students. If I was dean of the school, I would implement this plan effective immediately and would see no opposition as it is perfect and nothing could ever top this meal plan (in my eyes).
Quinn Elfers is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to share your thoughts about the column? Let Quinn know by emailing him at me989022@ohio.edu.
