We all know our meal plan is probably the number one thing we need to survive in college. No meal plan means no food and that could put any student in a tough situation.

Along with the regular meal plan money there is flex dollars or dawg dollars that are given to us. Depending on what meal plan you have, (platinum, gold, silver, bronze) will depend on how much flex dollars you get. Those dollars are given to supply you with money for eateries that are off campus.

Some of those include Applebee’s, Ons Chinese, Sal’s Pizzeria etc. The issue is that the Pace Mart, which is located in the Mortola Library, doesn’t take your meal plan money, but it takes away from your flex.

If it’s an on campus food and beverage option, then I don’t want it taking away from my off campus allotment. It’s intended for off campus eateries! The prices in Pace Mart are just as outrageous as the ones in Kessel and because I have to use my flex dollars there, it limits the amount of times I can use it off campus.

The options here for food are limited already and there will be times where I’m going to want to eat off campus. If the Pace Mart keeps taking away from that, then those limited options will become scarce. Granted, I don’t go to the Pace Mart often, but whatever they charge me will come back to haunt me down the line. And down the line is probably when I’m going to need those flex dollars the most.

There aren’t many flex dollars that are given to your meal plan. Each and every one of those dollars should go to a place that is not offered by Pace. I guarantee you a lot of students go to places off campus a million times more than they go to Pace Mart, especially when Pace Mart and Kessel sell basically the same things.

I would rather have more variety and more enjoyable food that is offered elsewhere. I don’t mind spending my money for that, but I do mind an on campus spot taking away from my off campus money. It should allow students to use their regular meal plan money and students will be much more accepting of that.