At first glance, the meal plans at Northwestern seem great. There are a lot of choices for meals, the staff is very accommodating of food allergies and preferences and the buffet-style dining allows us to eat as much as we want in one sitting. After a closer look into the rules surrounding the meal plans, though, it becomes apparent there are many flaws in the system.

The biggest problem is the rule surrounding guest meals. On the Weekly 14 plan, meals are set up for students to “use them or lose them” at the end of the week and each student is allowed two guest meals per quarter. However, if students don’t use up all of their meals for the week, they can’t use those other meals for guests. This is a ridiculous rule for a few reasons. First, it’s a waste of the student’s money when the meals could actually be put to good use. Second, it doesn’t cost the University any more money because there is no difference if the student used that meal or if the student’s guest used it.

This is a problem I struggle with on a weekly basis. I have a guest come visit me almost every Monday and Tuesday. During that time, he has to pay for his own meals in the dining halls or off campus while my extra meals go to waste.

Another example of NU’s wastefulness is that only three of the 14 meals on the Weekly 14 plan can be used as equivalency meals. That means if we have leftover meals, and we have already used three equivalency meals, then those meals go to waste too. It is unreasonable and unjust for NU to tell us to “use them or lose them” when we are trying to use them and get our money’s worth, but the administration is indifferent to our grievances.

Furthermore, freshmen and other first-year students don’t have block plans, in which all meals can be used as equivalency meals and are lost at the end of the quarter instead of at the end of the week. There is no reason why first-year students should be barred from using this type of a plan in order to ensure their money isn’t going to waste. Instead, this restriction only further serves to interfere with this goal.

Finally, there is a problem with the unlimited meal plan. By offering it, NU is not providing an opportunity for students to truly get their money’s worth because students are not allotted more guest or equivalency meals. Instead, the unlimited meal plan allows students to indulge in unhealthy eating behaviors. Under this plan, students are permitted to swipe in for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night as many times as they want. This could enable students to overeat because they won’t control their portions or will eat unhealthy foods like desserts more often. Although it is not the University’s responsibility to monitor students’ food intake, NU should not be enabling these possibilities.

There are many things that NU should do to ensure that the meal plans are fair for students. The most basic change should include letting leftover meals be used as guest or equivalency meals, no matter how many there are. I don’t like to think that my school is unfair or unreasonable, so we should expect such changes for the better to be made.

Katy Vines is a Weinberg freshman. She can be reached at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected].