When the fall semester starts, every student is excited about new changes from spring, but surprisingly they find out that the dining option is altered once they step into the C-Store. There’s no announcement, no explanation. The only thing that they received was a flyer stating what they could purchase with a swipe.
A student shows his confusion when the cashier tells him, “I’m sorry, this drink cannot be on the swipe.” Most students share their collective dissatisfaction with this new meal plan policy since finding an item on a swipe is hard. E, a senior, shares with The DePauw: “As someone who had relied on C-Stores’ products, the change is appalling. Since Hoover isn’t open on the weekends until 9 am, I would buy myself the avocados and eggs from the C-Store to make myself breakfast. Now, these items can no longer be bought using swipes, and we are simply not given enough flex for the semester to offset what we’ve lost. I am fortunate to have access to a car to go to nearby grocery stores, but many individuals do not have this privilege. The C-Store system needs to change so students can still have access to basic food such as bread and milk.”
The students showed their disagreement with the current policy by distributing a petition around the campus. They expressed concerns about the sudden modification of the C-Store policies, which were announced after the deadline for students to choose their meal plans. With this late announcement, students could not adjust their meal plans accordingly. They also proposed an increase in the Flex dollar amount due to the increased price in Greencastle and the limited availability of products in the C-Store.
Sophomore Thi Doan said the administration was unreasonable in not announcing the change to students before the deadline. “As someone living in the sorority, I think this new policy doesn’t impact me too much. But many of my friends struggle with these changes. C-Store and Blend don’t offer us many options even though the meal price has increased recently. I think the student petition is necessary in this situation. The students deserve an explanation from the DePauw administration,” Doan said.
Given that the new policy was implemented only recently, the Administration of DePauw expects students and staff to be patient with these changes. In response to this statement, students continue signing and sharing the petition widely on social media, which has gained 200 signatures as of September 14. They need a few days to reach the goal of 500 signatures and encourage the administration to address this issue as soon as possible.