Controvery over food account

By Max Orenstein
Senior Staff Writer
March 19, 2008

Despite the presence of students with extensions as well as the 40 students attending a spring break service trip, only athletes were authorized to use food account money in the Student Union during the break.

Director of Food Services Stephen Greb defended the policy, saying it has been around for a long time because “it wouldn't make sense to figure into the meal plan when no one is really here.” He added that athletes were able to swipe their cards for food due to supplementary meal plans purchased by their programs.

Despite Greb’s claims, there were students living on campus with housing extensions during the break. Although there’s no way of knowing how many students were inconvenienced by the policy, sophomore English major Rob Kirkner said that he was.

During the break, Kirkner attended Project Appalachia, a service trip to Harlan, Ky. As a result, Kirkner and the other resident students going on the trip acquired housing extensions for Saturday, March 2, because the busses to Harlan didn’t leave until Sunday. When he attempted to get a cheese steak for lunch that Saturday, he was asked if he was an athlete. When he said no, he was told he could not use his food account.

“I ended up having to pay $4.25 in cash,” he said. “I pay that money and I have so much on the card that I’m eager to use. It’s supposed to represent cash, but the school put limitations on when I can use it, which is upsetting to me since it's my money.”

Although not directly affected, other students seemed to support Kirkner’s line of thinking.

“I definitely think that the students affected should be compensated for this,” freshman American studies major Todd Kemper said. “There aren’t a lot of places to eat off-campus that are safe. It doesn't really make any sense.”

“If the students were allowed to stay on campus, they should have been allowed the ordinary privileges with their food account,” junior psychology major Brittany Rogers said.

According to Greb, this is the first time the policy has been questioned. When asked if Food Services would consider reforming the policy, Greb said, “We will certainly look into it.”

orensteinm1@lasalle.edu