By

‘Sinister’

U of L is trying to pull a fast one over students, as most of the people I’ve talked to hadn’t even heard of the plan.
This continued disrespect toward commuters (most of the student body) will result in more transfers to University of Kentucky and Jefferson Community & Technical College.
Sodexo is not even an American company. It’s a French multinational corporation, so this extra $500 a year doesn’t even stay in the country.
This $250 a semester is not only depriving students of affordable, tasty, healthy food at grocery stores, it is hurting local businesses.
This was part of U of L’s contract with Sodexo and I’ve yet to hear about anyone representing the student body during this negotiation.
This is nothing short of sinister, perhaps even criminal.
-Sean Rinehart
sophomore
electrical engineering and physics

‘Unfair’

I am a commuter student on scholarship at U of L. If a mandatory meal plan is forced upon undergraduate students, I will have to either pay for this new fee out of my residual scholarship funds or out of my own pocket. I try to save my residual funds for books and travel expenses. I had hoped to save the money in my account to take an international travel seminar before I graduate from U of L. If I am forced to continually pay an extra fee for a mandatory meal plan, I’ll probably have to find other means to pay for a trip or not go at all.
I would never spend $250 on food at campus. I try to strive for a diet without fast food and processed foods. I bring my lunch everyday and occasionally eat Subway on campus. This may happen once a month at the most. I prefer bringing food from my own home, where I know who has handled it and how it was prepared. I understand there will be healthier options available. Like the other food places, they’ll be crowded as they always are. I don’t have the time to wait in a line.
College students, especially in our uncertain economic times, need to save their money. I believe a mandatory meal plan is unfair to students. We should have a choice as to how to spend our money.
-Kaycee Stone
sophomore
biology and ecology

‘Outrageous’

Food and space are some of the reasons I don’t live on campus, food being one of the bigger reasons. The awful quality of the food offered makes my stomach hurt, it’s terrible for me and tastes even worse to boot. I make my own food and bring it to campus if I need to. This is far more economical and responsible. I work two jobs, go to school full time and rely on my savings to make ends meet. I have far more important things to spend that money on instead of crappy fruit, Subway and poorly made coffee (which is all it would be spent on).
This is also bad for restaurants (especially in the downtown/Old Louisville area) that depend on students for a large part of their business. With $250 less a semester to spend on what we want to buy, we will have to choose more carefully where our dollars go.
The meal plan was actually negotiated as part of U of L’s contract with Sodexo. This was very forward of U of L, don’t you think? That each U of L student needed to fork over an additional $250 without even asking the student body (the reason they are in business).
This also bodes ill for U of L, whether they see it or not. I’m telling all my friends and my little sister’s friends who are still in high school to go to UK or even JCTC just to avoid the way U of L treats its commuters (the majority of the student body).
This plan is absurd, outrageous and rude. I had always defended the university to detractors, but now I see the error in my idealistic thinking. Pity, wouldn’t you say?
-Lindsay Smith
sophomore
studio art