Frustrations of a famished freshman
My experience eating (and starving) on the freshmen meal plan
We attend a top-notch university, with dining apparently ranked fifth in the nation – yet we can’t even get three meals a day without going food point bankrupt.
I learned that the hard way during my first semester of college. As an excited little freshman, I would go to Div School Cafe, Law School, BC, Pitchforks and any other eateries I could find on campus for lunch between classes up to three times a week.
Once, after a night out post Shooters, I went all out at Papa John’s, ordering enough pizza to share with my entire friend group. Life was good.
Until a few months later when I ran out of food points.
In the middle of the semester, the cries of famish and depleted food points became ubiquitous and I was not alone. I can’t tell you how many times I heard people say that they were only able to eat two large meals a day, which is concerning and fairly unhealthy, but I’ll save that rant for another day.
Café De Novo & The Loop, photo by Audrey Wang
As a university that advocates a rounded, healthy way of living and is spending billions on building an expanded wellness center as well renovating the anticipated West Union, ensuring that all freshman are well fed and nourished doesn’t seem like too much to ask.
An allocation of $4.26 a day this spring is barely enough to get a coffee at the Perk, let alone purchase a healthy meal on campus.
And to top it all off, we have to skip two dinners a week and resort to junk from the vending machines or microwave macaroni and cheese or scavenge for free food in order to eat brunch on weekends.
Divinity Cafe, photo by Audrey Wang
And what about equivalency? According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, to be equivalent is to be equal in value. I know I’m failing Math 111, but I’m fairly sure that $18 is not equivalent to $8.25. Do not even get me started on the fact that equivalency can only be used at MP (except for breakfast at Penn Pavilion until 10am).
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to run back to East, mid-study session at Perkins, before Trinity Cafe closes in order to save those coveted food points and get a decent snack after skipping dinner.
It’s sad to know that once West Union is finally completed, next year’s excited little freshmen won’t get much of a taste of it due to their lack of food points and their restriction to MP.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the themed dinners and the sense of community among freshmen Marketplace provides, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to explore all the eateries that make us fifth in the nation and truly experience the #dukedifference while you still can.