As the old adage goes, there are only two things certain in life: death and taxes. College students could easily add a third to the list -- the need for food.
Now ASU wants to capitalize on it.
On Friday, ASU officials will seek the Arizona Board of Regents' approval for a conceptual proposal to implement a mandatory food plan for all students living on campus.
The meal plan, which would range anywhere from $1,900 to $3,500 per semester, would force students to eat at ASU-based outlets. The current plan does not support off-campus restaurants.
ASU officials believe the plan would create more of a community feel for those in the dorms by forcing them to eat and socialize.
We see it differently.
Most likely, students will act like any other group of hungry animals and stick to the pack they are familiar with.
Students could still hit up grocery stores or sandwich shops off campus. They'll just be dipping into their own pockets. And after dropping two grand on a meal plan, there will be little left to pass around.
Because the money is paid up front and not on a meal-by-meal basis, most students won't think to use the plan daily or keep up with it diligently.
The plan is also structured for students to eat three meals a day -- a notion that holds as much water as a trampled beer pong cup. Some students can go presidential administrations between eating solid breakfasts, so rolling over will just create a mountain of unused funds. When the end of the year rolls around, students will be forced to use the excess on as many Ding Dongs or Twinkies they can handle, not on a chunk of change kicked back to them.
If Crow and other ASU officials want this plan to work, changes will need to be made not only to the proposed plan, but also how the University makes food available to students. We deserve more bang for our buck. Here are a few alternative measures ASU could consider to make the plan more viable.
Instead of offering a limited amount of places for students to eat, use some of this "mandatory" money to create options. Let students use the money off campus, instead of lining the pockets of ASU-based eateries.
Create a centralized grocery store. An on-campus market would give students healthy choices. We're not saying the chicken sandwich with extra mayonnaise at Burger King isn't our favorite, but every now and then, change isn't a bad thing.
Build an on-campus bar or lounge, further enhancing a sense of community over coffee and muffins in the morning and cocktails at night. Let students grow closer in a place that doesn't feel like a cafeteria or a trendy fast food option.
If ASU officials want to create more of a community, maybe they should think outside the box, not inside their wallets.
