At Hiram, we are to pay an unlimited meal plan every year, costing students $5,140 per year. Some students do not eat at the dining hall nearly this frequently, if at all. Although we have other meal options like the bistro and the clock tower cafe, these costs are often out of pocket after the $50 in Terrier Cash is out. Many students are very upset about the cost of the meal plans in relation to the frequency of their attendance at the dining hall. Also, the food options are not always great. Students notice that Tuesdays tend to be “good days”, where other days some consider the food to be not as good. Personally, I have definitely gone 5-6 days in a row eating just salads from the dining hall. Having universal options such as a grilled chicken breast with vegetables or having a different staple item instead of grilled cheese would be so beneficial. However, the experimentation with foods and the amount of things that end up not being very nutritious or just tasting good has been an issue. A lot of students do not even go to the dining hall because of dietary issues, and the Stone Soup Co-op requires an equal cook:work ratio. All students should have options to save money if they don’t eat at the dining hall.  For this reason, we would like the following to be added to our meal plan options for a lesser cost than the unlimited, but continue to keep the unlimited plan! 

14 Swipes Per Week + $200 Terrier Cash per semester

21 Swipes Per Week + $100 Terrier Cash per semester

As a small campus, we cherish the small community aspect of our campus. This leads us to being comfortable with change, and this is a change that many students would be very grateful for.