For the majority of students at SMU, freshman year in Umphrey Lee is just a fact of life that you deal with in your first year or two and then finish. Some students, however, live on campus multiple years. I fall into the latter category.

After three years of eating from the SMU Dining Plan, I feel like I have a pretty good grasp of the system. Recently, however, Aramark announced that they were changing the meal plan starting in the fall.

Until this coming fall, I could pick between several combinations of swipes (some unlimited) and “Flex Dollars.” Next year, however, I am only given the options of seven days unlimited with $50 Flex or five days unlimited with $200 Flex. I realize that there may be some other options, but these are the only options covered by SMU under many scholarships.

I think that these choices severely limit options for on campus students. The increased Flex dollars are great when you have two days without swipes, with one significant caveat. Personally, I would assume that I would use my five unlimited days during the week when I eat at Umph two or three times a day and perhaps a late night trip to Mac’s Place. That leaves me with only Flex dollars for the weekend. The main problem is that there are essentially no options available for Flex dollars on the weekend.

I’m sure there is some logic behind Aramark’s decision, but I am unable to find any benefit for students. Perhaps the situation could be remedied if Flex dollars were eliminated and consolidated to Pony. What is the purpose in having two different currencies in addition to good ole’ dollars?

The only difference it seems is the limitation of where one can use the different forms of payment.

Basically, all Flex locations are closed on the weekend if not early Friday. Pony tends to be accepted at other locations off campus, which would significantly reduce the frustration with the five-swipe plan.

A dining plan is supposed to provide food for students on campus, not force them off campus to eat on the weekends. This seems to be the path Aramark is taking. I don’t think it is any secret that the quality of food available drops precipitously after 2 p.m. on Fridays.

This seems to be further pushing towards eliminating Umph on the weekends. Were I to take the five-swipe option, I would either have to find my own food off campus on Friday or try to survive eating for two weekdays every week of the semester for $200.

I hope that Aramark reconsiders these new options. SMU wants to create a more vibrant campus where students do not evacuate at close of business Friday, but these new meal plan options do the opposite: they push students to leave on the weekends.

Personally, I can drive twenty minutes up U.S.-75 to my parents’ house for food on the weekends (which I tend to do a lot due to the aforementioned food quality issue) but I know a lot of people don’t have that luxury. I hope that this is remedied in time for the fall in order to encourage students to enjoy being on campus rather than be forced to find food off campus.

Brad is a junior majoring in mechanical engineering.