The Lantern

Issue date: 1/28/08 Section: Campus

In its second year, the traditional dining plan is not very popular among Ohio State students, according to campus dining services.

"It sucked. There is limited places to eat. I couldn't swipe my friends in," said Johannah Bogart, a freshman in anthropology and sociology, referring to the limitations of the Traditional Plan. Other OSU students agree.

Amy Greene, a freshman in environmental science, said she considered the Traditional Plan because it was the least expensive but "the places that have really good food - like Marketplace - you can't eat."

Although the least expensive resident dining plan, the Traditional Plan makes up only 5 percent of the total meal contracts, said Jill Irvin, associate director of Campus Dining Services.

The plan is accepted at a limited amount of dining places on campus, cannot be used after 10 p.m., does not include grocery or guest swipes, does not bring an automatic $100 deposit into the student's BuckID account, allows only one swipe per meal and restricts swipes to a 99-minute interval.

Started in the fall quarter of 2006, the plan was created as a "value-priced" alternative and was designed to prevent students from running out of swipes before the end of the quarter.

Irvin said the small amount of students choosing the plan does not worry her because she considers it appropriate for certain students.

"I consider it a specialized plan designed for a specific purpose," Irvin said. "It's obviously meeting those needs. I'm thrilled we offer it."

One need the plan meets is guaranteeing swipes throughout the quarter.

"I get a pretty significant number of students who ask for more swipes at the end of the quarter, about 50 students contact me through e-mail and that's without counting those who request more swipes through the main housing office," Irvin said.

Doreen Kinley, a junior in psychology and cashier at Fresh Express, said she ran out of swipes one quarter during her freshman year and needed her roommates to provide meal swipes for her. "I'm more careful now," Kinley said. "I don't think (the Traditional Plan) is necessary."

After removing the fixed $450 dining facility fee, the $920-Traditional Plan charges students $2.25 per swipe and provides more swipes per quarter than all other plans, except the Deluxe Plan.

The Deluxe Plan, Buckeye Plus, Scarlet Plus, Gray Plus and Commuter Plus are called bloc plans that assign a certain amount of swipes per quarter without limiting a certain amount each week. These plans do not restrict campus dining locations, meal times or meal swipes at one given meal, and provide guest and grocery swipes as well as an automatic deposit into the student's BuckID account.

Joey Case, a freshman in mechanical engineering, said despite the limitations he recommends the Traditional Plan to other students.

"It was the cheapest. I would recommend it if someone didn't want to spend a lot of money," he said.

Under the Traditional Plan and unlike the other plans, the swipes not used during the week cannot be used for grocery swipes at the end of the quarter; the student loses those swipes.

Case added, "It sucks that if I have left-over (swipes) at the end of the quarter, I can't use it."

"It's a consideration students should have," Irvin said, referring to the lost swipes. "I always ask students when deciding what meal plan to choose - I ask parents the same thing - 'What are your meal patterns?' And then we try to match the plan that works for them."

Students interested in purchasing more swipes may contact Irvin at jirvin@studentaffairs.osu.edu or may contact University Housing in 350 Morrill Tower.

Ingrid Rivera can be reached at rivera.153@osu.edu.

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