BY CALEIGH PETERSEN
Stonehill students offered a wide variety of suggestions on how to improve on-campus dining at a forum sponsored by Stonehill SGA.
The student's ideas range from providing healthier options, making sure dietary restrictions were considered, the quality of food would increase, and changes in portion sizes, among other things.
Vice President of Student Affairs Pauline Dobrowski and Associate Vice President Kevin Piskadlo helped lead the forum at May Hall on Monday, January 23, about students getting their meals. The goal of the meeting was to look at the importance of food on campus and what new meal plans should be considered.
“I’m really happy that the school is having an assembly to address this situation because it is a burden on everyone’s day-to-day because realistically the cost and the quality don’t match up,” Senior Emma Gabel said.
Sophomore Marissa Such suggested that two programs could be offered.
“It would be a good idea to have a swipe system along with the dollar system, I think that it works better and give students more variety,” Such said.
The meal plan at Stonehill is called a “declining balance”, which has pros and cons compared to the traditional meal plan that many other schools carry.
Some of the pros to the declining balance is “pay as you go,” rather than going strictly by swipes, lower food waste because you aren’t able to access unlimited food because you are paying for what you get, and there are unlimited to-go options.
There are also pros to the traditional meal plan using a swipe card, there is less food insecurity for students, greater ability to try new foods, and there are no additional costs that would affect students.
One major issue that was addressed is food security and insecurity and making sure that students can get help if they do not feel as though they’re receiving proper nutrition.
Students raised several questions, including whether RAs would be affected if the price increased because their meal plan is included in their room and board, and if the price increased, would it still be included or would RA’s start have to pay a portion.
“No sign for having RAs pay, it will still be included in the room and board,” Dobrowski said.
Many students suggested the pay by your portion as a learning lesson, meaning more education on balancing food with the meal plan money to prepare us for the real world and budgeting, along with looking at the upsides of not paying almost double for meal swipes.
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