Problem
Tulane University forces first and second year students to be on a meal plan, despite the fact that meal plans at Tulane cost $6,000+ a year and Bruff dining hall has very limited options. Furthermore, Bruff has a pattern of sanitation and cross-contamination issues. For instance, students often find their food from the dining hall to be undercooked (including poultry) or containing mold, worms, maggots, and other bugs. The school makes it incredibly difficult for first and second year students to get off the meal plan. Many students find themselves skipping meals rather than eating at the dining hall.

Tulane tells students it requires them to enroll in a meal plan to foster a sense of community and promote socialization, but I often find myself going to Bruff alone, feeling uncomfortable and awkward sitting by myself. Tulane is doing more harm than good by forcing sophomores to enroll in a meal plan.

Students are aware that Bruff is not the only on-campus dining option that accepts meal swipes. However, the other dining options are not friendly to all dietary restrictions and are inconveniently located for many students.

Additionally, the requirement to live on campus does not mean students are incapable of feeding themselves without meal services. Many of the dormitory buildings have nice kitchens in them, and there are plenty of affordable restaurants nearby that are accessible without a car through Uber Eats and Postmates.

Solution
Tulane University should eliminate the meal plan requirement for second year students with no penalties to the students beginning at the start of the Spring 2019 semester. Students should be able to choose where they source their food from, especially if they feel uncomfortable with the lack of quality that Bruff provides. Sophomores, who have already experimented with the meal plan options, should have the authority to decide whether or not the school's dining options fit their lifestyles and dietary needs.

Students know that Tulane is building a new dining hall. However, this new building is not a solution. The bugs and other issues are most likely sourced from the food suppliers, the food transportation conditions, and the workers themselves. Regardless of the quality of the food at the new dining hall, students should still be able to decide if a meal plan is or is not right for them. 

Personal story
I am a concerned Tulane sophomore who wants my university to give students a choice in whether or not they are on a meal plan. I have been disgusted with the food at Bruff and find myself eating incredibly unhealthy there. I have seen workers making grilled cheese sandwiches with the same gloves that they used to handle raw chicken. I know I speak for hundreds of other students when I say that being on a meal plan as a sophomore at Tulane is a serious waste of money. The quality of student life could improve vastly if Tulane allows its students to choose what they put in their bodies. As a school that prides itself on the happiness of its students, Tulane should listen to students’ pleas to eat as they choose.