It’s Thursday, and students are swiping their Stagcards at Barone. A few reveal three or less meals and others still balance eight or nine meals. These leftover meals may seem like just numbers, but, in reality, it’s a big loss of money.
Fairfield requires all freshmen and sophomores residing on campus to purchase one of the three meal plans offered by the campus food service provider. The most popular meal plan is 12 board meals and $100 in dining dollars. Other options include 14 board meals and $50 in dining dollars for $2,085 a semester, and 19 board meals a semester for $2,190 for a semester.
However, many students who do not frequent the cafeteria find the meal plan inflexible and a waste of money.
With a 17-week semester and 12 meals a week, each meal on average costs $9.31. For students who have just three leftover meals a week, they are losing $474 a semester.
Sophomore Kat Reilly, a film and studio art major, only uses four to five meals in what she calls a “good week.”
“My schedule is so irregular and I have to physically go places,” said Reilly. “I’m always at the studio or the media center. By the time I’ve gotten back, my friends have eaten and the cafeteria is closed.”
Many students use the Stag instead because of its convenience. Students also find the later hours of the Stag more suitable to their schedules.
The cafeteria is only open Sunday through Thursday until 8 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays until 7 p.m.
However, parts of the Stag are open as late as 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
Kimberly Lovato ’09 also finds the cafeteria hours frustrating since she works as a lifeguard from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.
“The Stag is expensive, and you only get $100 in dining dollars,” said Lovato. “Since I have to buy two meals a week, it adds up, and the money I’m making will most likely be put back on my Stagbucks once my dining dollars run out. If the cafeteria was open later, I wouldn’t have to waste money.”
Many people who have guests on campus also end up using the Stag. Although FUSA required that Sodexho add two free guest swipes in the cafeteria this year, many cafeteria workers have not understood the policy and have taken out of the student’s dining dollars.
According to Jenn Belcher, the retail manager of Sodexho, this was a result of miscommunication.
“The guest swipes were put into play and we forgot to inform the cashiers,” said Belcher.
She said that Sodexho is offering to reimburse the dining dollars of any student who was accidentally charged for a guest swipe.
Other students avoid the cafeteria because they dislike the food. Lauren Peyton ’09, for example, uses only three meals a week.
“I hate this food,” said Peyton. “I asked them if I could get a different meal plan but they said it is mandatory.”
Peyton said that if she is required to purchase a meal plan, there should at least be more options. She suggested dining dollars that could be used in any location.
However, Jim Fitzpatrick, the associate vice-president of Student Affairs, said he understands that students will not use all of their meals. The money that students do not use goes into the overall budget to cover costs.
“We figure out our meals on an absentee factor,” said Fitzpatrick. “If all the students actually used all of their meals, the meal plan would be much more expensive.”
However, this does not comfort some parents who are paying for the meal plan.
“I think it’s an absolute waste of money,” said Barbara Reilly, the mother of Kat Reilly from Staten Island. “They really should be more flexible. It’s not right how much I pay when my daughter can’t even use the meals most of the time.”
Fitzpatrick responded that the Fairfield’s meal plan is actually a tremendous value. For one, students can swipe once and eat as much as they want. The cafeteria also offers a variety of food at the convenience of being on campus.
However, even students who force themselves to use their meals often feel that they do not get their money’s worth.
“Sometimes I just go to grab an apple,” said sophomore Mary Ellen Fenton. “It’s not worth what they charge, but it’s better than having it unused.”
Sophomore Becky Krause agreed.
“I wish I had fewer meals because I rarely ever use all of them. My parents pay for food that goes to waste. There’s no need for it,” she said.
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