The updated rules and regulations to the meal plan have resulted in a petition going around campus to change it.

Sophomore Nicole Zorin has started a petition to bring the meal plan back to last years’ rules. With over 300 signatures in only one week, it has gained popularity around campus.

Students are no longer able to use more than one swipe per meal and can only use one meal during each of the four time slots every day. One for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and one after dinner meal.

“It kind of started after me and a bunch of friends all over campus were talking about the situation and how it’s really inconvenient for students and people in general,” Zorin said, “We’re petitioning in order to raise awareness because we just want them to be aware of it, that it’s causing such a problem.”

She said one of the biggest problems with the change is for the student athletes on campus. Since many of them have practice during certain meal slot hours, they miss meal times which results in unused and wasted meals. A meal is six dollars, and any money over the six dollars must be used with bonus points.

With many Starbucks and Jamba Juice drinks costing up to five dollars, students have had to use a whole meal swipe on a drink alone.

Collecting the signatures by going from dorm to dorm has been effective. “People are completely on board with it, they think it’s a good idea,” Zorin said. Everyone she has approached to sign the petition has been completely supportive of her motive.

Prices have also been changing, especially at the Centrum. “It seems like the prices went up and it’s just different for me. [Ullman Commons] is so much easier, and it seems more limited at the Centrum,” sophomore Coleman Fleitz said.

Although the petition does not necessarily imply that the Centrum will resort back to the prices from last year, it has the potential to raise enough awareness that the student body is not pleased with the change.

“It makes me want to go to [Ullman Commons] because I want to get the most out of each meal, and since [Ullman Commons] is ‘all you can eat’ that’s where I usually go. I really hope this petition makes some changes,” sophomore Austin Kay said.

Zorin’s goal for the petition is to reach 500 signatures, although she is debating if she wants to make it closer to 1,000.

“I know a change has to be made,” Zorin said, “And we’re not gonna make it happen if we’re all around sitting on our butts doing nothing.”

Dianna Rohrer
Staff Writer

Published September 24, 2014