When students return to campus for a new semester, they look forward to many things - Ratty food, though, isn't one of them. It is true that there have been many recent improvements to on-campus dining choices. While we commend Brown Dining Services' efforts to expand the culinary options at Brown's satellite eateries, it is no secret that the meal plan has long been received with grudging resentment by students. We believe the meal plan takes advantage of many students' inability or unwillingness to obtain food by other means, and we advocate major changes in the BDS system, particularly in pricing.
Institutionally-prepared food is likely never going to be delicious, particularly compared to eateries like East Side Pockets that are only a few steps up Thayer Street. But on-campus meal plans also come with an incredibly hefty price tag, and it is with this price tag that we take the most issue. Brown offers two tracks of meals: Weekly and Flex Plans. The price for the full option of either plan is $4,284. This can be used as either 20 weekly meals and 200 points per year, or as 230 meals and 250 points per semester.
When one crunches the numbers the University unquestionably receives a far better end of the deal. One reason for this is the absolute rigidity of the meal credit - when spending the credit at a satellite eatery like the Blue Room, the full $6.60 gets charged no matter what. In many cases, the meal credit at a satellite eatery does not cover the cost of an entire meal. This is exacerbated by the policy of expiring credits on the Weekly Plan, where failing to use one of your credits for the day means you lose it forever. This might point to Flex being a better option, but students get shortchanged there as well. The full value of 230 meals and 250 points per semester is only $1,768, which is more than $300 less than the $2,142 per semester charged for the meal plan. This essentially boils down to students paying $300 for "flexibility."
The problem becomes even more pronounced when less comprehensive plans are examined. The weekly 14 meal per week plan provides the user with about 105 fewer meals and 50 points less than the full plan users get, and yet it is only $254 cheaper. This vein continues for all the meal plan pricings - it just makes no financial sense to go on anything less than the full plan, which is overpriced in the first place. Many students argue that eating out on Thayer Street is actually cheaper in the long run, and they have a point. Some might argue that the convenience of having food prepared whenever you need it trumps the financial burden that accompanies the meal plans, and we gladly concede that point.
We also do not intend to criticize BDS employees, who have put in a huge amount of effort to create variety and convenience for students at all campus eateries. The continually rising cost that students are forced to bear, as well as the pressure that Brown puts on students to choose an overpriced plan - especially by mandating it for first-year students - speaks to an unappealing eagerness on behalf of the administration to reap the monetary benefits of our participation.
Possible solutions to these problems include allowing freshmen to opt out of the plan, perhaps giving them a free trial to decide what works best for their needs or reducing the cost of the lower-tier meal plans to make them financially feasible or even increasing the value of a meal credit at venues such as the Blue Room and Josiah's. The short surveys students are asked to complete by BDS when they go off meal plan, which ask the reasons for the decision, obviously aren't working. The administration needs to listen to students and make improvements to the meal plan system - otherwise, students may decide that Chicken Finger Friday and Ratty omelets just aren't worth the pain.
Editorials are written by The Herald's editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
