By Ariela Rosa
A new meal plan option was announced late last week and will be available to students starting Winter Term 2015. The new option includes 70 meal swipes for use in Andrew Commons and $450 in culinary cash.
According to Warch Campus Center Director Greg Griffin, the meal plan evolved out of discussions within the Student Welfare Committee of LUCC.
“The question raised was: How could we (Lawrence and Bon Appétit) best respond to students’ needs and desire for more culinary cash in the meal plan mix?” Griffin explained.
General Manager of Bon Appétit Julie Severance sits on the Student Welfare Committee. “We worked in conjunction with Greg Griffin to devise a plan that really is 50 percent swipes and 50 percent culinary cash,” Severance said.
The Student Welfare Committee requested a fifth option due to students’ concerns about the lack of culinary cash left over at the end of each term. Concerns have grown with the recent introductions of the Noodle Bar and the “Dub Box,” an on-campus food truck that accepts culinary cash.
Severance explained that Dub Boxes have existed at several Bon Appétit locations for years.
“I thought the Dub Box would successfully fill a dining niche here at Lawrence—namely lunch at the Conservatory. For several years now, we have heard about the struggles that Con students have in finding time to each lunch,” Severance said. “Before the Dub Box, there was never a good way to address the problem.”
Severance indicated that the Dub Box has been a great solution for Con students in particular. However, students across the campus have enjoyed the Dub Box’s offerings.
One student, junior Logan Beskoon, stated that he found the truck “convenient for getting a quick coffee in the morning when I don’t want to walk all the way to Warch at 8:15 a.m.”
Beskoon was enthusiastic about the new meal plan option. “I’m always struggling to balance my culinary cash and meal swipes,” he said. “I seem to run out before the end of the term. I think this new option will give me and other students a little more flexibility.”
When asked whether he would switch to the new plan, Beskoon responded, “My friend and I were both stoked and have already switched over. Generally, for upperclassmen especially, I think people are happy to see a new option; it’s a step towards having more accessible meal options for Lawrentians.”
Griffin echoed Beskoon’s statements, explaining that he and his office have received positive feedback on the new option. “In the first 24 hours, over 100 students switched to this plan for Term II,” he added.
Based on students’ positive reactions, Griffin expressed optimism for the recent plan addition. “With more and more culinary cash options, we hope this meal plan meets the needs of students who want more culinary cash , but also want the value and the opportunity to use meal swipes in Andrew Commons.”