A “Crazy” Idea for Meal Plans

Kum has taken that idea of what is doable to heart. His two big goals center around meal plans and a campus-wide tour.

Traditionally, students pay upwards of $1,800 per academic year for various meal plans on campus. Some plans, like the Block 10 or 75, limit the total amount of meals students can eat on campus — at the Peterson Heritage Center or elsewhere on campus that accepts meal transfers. 

Kum is frustrated by these limitations, especially for students who have dietary restrictions. 

“Yes, we purchase meal plans from the school, from Chartwells, but they’re still supposed to be there to serve us, as students,” Kum said.

In response, the Kum ticket seeks to overhaul the current system, instituting unlimited meal swipes at the U and rid certain dorms like Sage Point, Chapel Glen and Officers Circle of their meal plan requirements. 

“It’s the craziest thing we want to do,” Kum said.

Still, Valdes and the rest of the Kum ticket think it’s possible.

“As part of the presidential intern program this year, we went on a comparative learning trip for higher education, where we visited other college campuses,” Valdes said. “We visited USC, and we looked at their meal plan system. All their packages have unlimited swipes and it seems to be a growing, nationwide trend.”

“It saves universities a lot of money and prevents students from going into the starvation mindset. We think the U will be excited about it when they see how much money it saves them, in terms of food waste,” Valdes said.

For the Kum ticket, revamping the meal plan program meets their access to safety and affordability goals promised in their campaign.

Though nothing has been set in stone as far as plans, “we have negotiating power with HRE,” Kum said. “We represent the student body.”