Clarifying meal point options

There have been many stories lately in the IDS about a plan to have “meal points” in the Union and the Wells Library. These stories have been falsely portraying this plan and making it sound as if the students will be able to use the same meal points at these locations as they use in the residence hall dining facilities.

This is not true.

The meal points that are used at the Union and library won’t be part of a traditional RPS meal plan, but will be in a separate plan used on top of the RPS meal plan. I feel as if the Union Board wants students to believe both RPS food and Union Board food would be in the same plan, and with the help of your recent articles, students are being deceived.

To be honest, when I first heard the words “meal points in the Union,” I was ecstatic. However, after I found out that the actual plan calls for students to pay $300 into a separate account, I was thoroughly disappointed. In the proposed plan, students would pay the $300 for 300 meal points, similar to a Campus Access account.

What’s the difference between the two plans? With Campus Access you can use the money you put on your card in countless places: stores around campus, residence hall dining facilities, paying for laundry, and yes, the Union and the Cyber Cafe.

Another difference is that with Campus Access you can put money in your account as you need it. Your parents can even put money on it for you online.

With the proposed Union Board and Wells Library meal plan, you have to put $300 on it, and you can only spend your meal points in the Union or the Cyber Cafe in the Wells Library. The only incentive the proposed plan gives to students is a 5 percent discount on food purchased. The 5 percent discount with the meal plan won’t even cover the 6 percent sales tax on the purchase.

James Manges
IU sophomore