By Travis Richmiller

Freshman are required to buy the all access meal plan for the first time this fall. 

“This is the first semester where all freshman living on campus are now required to choose the all-access meal plan at Quincy University, which includes unlimited meal swipes in the main dining room during all hours of operation, four guest meals, and 100 flex dollars,” Marc Everhart, QU graduate student and Chartwells supervisor said. 

“Freshman can change to the weekly meal plan after their first semester, which includes 19 meals per week, or they can keep the all access meal plan if they like,”  Chris Blakeman, Chartwells director of dining services said.

The all-access plan is the most expensive meal plan option.

Abigail Moore, a freshman journalism and communications major , sees the positives and negatives of this new requirement.

“It is nice that I don’t have to think about it and can swipe my card as much as I want,” Moore said, “but it is expensive.”

Moore believes that she might look into changing her meal plan after this semester to the weekly one, because she doesn’t eat enough throughout the day to  use it to its full potential.

“It’s awesome to have it, but I don’t really need it,” Moore said.

Joe Borderwick, Chartwells assistant director of dining services, believes that the change is a good idea for first semester freshman to be required to have the all access meal plan.

“It’s nice because it makes sure that freshman who move here have all access to the cafeteria so they don’t have to make up a weekly meal plan, while trying to manage all the other responsibilities that they have, while at the same time adjusting to moving away from home and potentially into a new area they’ve never lived before for the first time,” Borderwick said.

Borderwick noticed in the past when freshman had the option to choose other meal plans that they would use them all up early in the semester and almost be out of meals by November, and would be scrambling at the end of the semester. Now that they are required to have the all access plan, that isn’t an issue.

Blakeman has also noticed a reduction in food waste at the cafeteria since this new requirement.

“Students can graze all throughout the day and not just stuff themselves during meal times, which has caused a reduction in the amount of food waste coming from students’ plates,” Blakeman said.