Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
After years of stagnation, Dining Services opted to update the points and meal system late last semester.
| Changes to Points | |
| 17 Meals | $80.00 worth of points |
| 14 Meals | $150.00 worth of points |
| Changes to Meals | |
| Breakfast Value | $2.60 worth of points |
| Lunch Value | $3.75 worth of points |
| Dinner Value | $4.60 worth of points |
Can you remind us of what the old values were? Thanks.
I think the use of the word “stagnation” unintentionally or unintentionally violates the neutral tone the Daily Gazette opts for. It comes across as a little disrespectful.
I would also like to note that the Dining Services administrators have generously decided not to change the general structure of the meal plan until there is a dialogue with students. Instead, let us thank them for making this change, particularly when the price of food has been drastically rising.
*intentionally or unintentionally
Nate–Thanks for your comment. In talking to Linda McDougall, she explained to me that the value of meals had “not gone up in years,” and more specifically, had not moved as the buying value of the dollars decreased. I don’t believe that a long period with little (or decreasing) value change to meals is unfit to be described as stagnation.
That said, the Dining Services people have been great recently in responding to the student body–the herb garden is one excellent example of this, as are Essie Mae’s later hours.
I just want to give three cheers to Dining Services for making a change that I believe will be beneficial to the student body, and also thank the Gazette for laying this out – I didn’t know about this at all!
I would also like to be remineded of the previous values.
Thanks,
-S
The previous values were as follows:
17/14
$65
$125
B/L/D
$2.25
$3.25
$4.00
Incidentally, they also raised the prices of most meal items by 25/50 cents, so we’re not actually getting any extra purchasing power compared to before, just inflation across the board.