Freshmen required to buy meal plan

If Penn's incoming freshmen want to get their money's worth in their first semester, they will now have to visit the dining hall 17 times each week. Starting with the class of 2005, all first-year students will be required to subscribe to Campus Dining Services's "Penn Titanium Meal Plan," which provides students with 17 all-you-can-eat meals and 150 Dining Dollars. University officials said that the decision was motivated by the desire to foster a community atmosphere among freshmen, account for fluctuating finances within Dining Services and increase dining offerings for students. The new policy gives "the opportunity to offer a more robust food program," Campus Dining Services Managing Director Peg Lacey said. Lacey pointed to many factors for the decision, including student input in various surveys taken throughout the year. She also said that Campus Dining Services wished to account for shifts in revenue between fall and spring semesters. Often, she said, students downgrade their meal plans at the start of this year's spring semester, leaving Dining Services with less revenue in the spring than the fall. "We wanted some stability there," Lacey added. Associate Vice President of Campus Services Larry Moneta said the decision was partly based on the recommendations of college house representatives, who said that meal plans can be used to create community among the different houses. "Half of [the new plan] came from our work with the college houses," Moneta said. Director of College Houses and Academic Services David Brownlee said that the new policy will contribute to "a stable financial foundation and a stable foundation for house-based programming." Brownlee said he thought that freshmen should not have to focus on how they are going to get meals and instead concentrate on getting acclimated to college life. "I think it's important for freshmen to focus on their studies," Brownlee said. Moneta also pointed to the desire to create "strong financial stability" within Dining Services. He added, however, that profit-making was not a motivation for Campus Services. "There is no profit," Moneta said. "There is no [net] revenue generating here." According to Moneta, all of the funds brought in by meal plans go toward maintaining the expenses of Campus Services, including hiring staff. Penn officials said that the financial aid office has taken the cost of the 17-meal per week plan into account in designing student aid packages. While all freshman must stick to the 17-meal per week plan for their first semester, they will have the option to upgrade to the 19-meal per week plan or downgrade to the 14-meal per week plan. Students may not, however, subscribe to any meal plan which provides fewer than 14 meals per week at any point in the freshman year. Some students, however, criticized the new policy. "I chose 19 first semester, and I probably ate 5 meals a week," College freshman Luke Panza said. "Truthfully, I really think Penn is making people waste their money," Panza added. "I don't see why it should be mandatory." Other students agreed with Panza. "I think it's ridiculous," College freshman Rory Levine said. "I think it doesn't make any sense." "On a campus where the food is pretty lousy to begin with, I think it's unfair that they would require freshmen to pay for meals that, chances, are, they won't go to," said Levine, a member of the Kite and Key Club, who arranges for prospective Penn students to be hosted by current students on overnight visits. Other students echoed Levine and Panza's views. "I think it's a waste of money for the incoming freshmen," College Freshman Rachel Josue said. "I never eat in the dining hall," she said, adding that she has only used 80 meals this semester with her declining meal plan. For students commuting to Penn, the 17-meal per week plan will not be required; instead, a Commuter Plan offers 5 meals per week to accommodate these students.

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