avoid paying enough rent for a San Fransisco apartment overlooking the bay while living with five other people in the middle of the cornfield.

The big news on campus? Upperclassmen meal plan. Yes, I'm just a freshman, but it will affect me no matter what class I'm in. Right now, any soph. or freshman living in the residence halls is required to buy a full meal plan which is up to six meals a day (although supposedly we actually only pay for four). Now this is understandable for a first-year student, and although I really don't think I actually need four to six meals a day, I am willing to go along with it. For the second year, it would be nice to have a smaller meal plan, but even then, I can handle it with minimal complaining.

However, since we are required to live on campus all four years (which is another story), and upperclassmen pay more for the appliances in the apartments, a meal plan for juniors and seniors seems slightly overkill. The apartments cost six hundred dollars more per person than the resident halls, and the new meal plan would add eight hundred dollars per year. This meal plan would offer 80 meals per semester plus a $100 dollar flex card. 80 meals ends up being about 5 or 6 per week which means basically eating in the commons every day. Now the flex card is completely useless, because even though they say that many buisness around town may join in and accept it, cash works just as well. And there is a reason students don't eat out more often: they can't afford it.

The college does have a few arguments, although none of them have been presented very well. First of all, the college says that the food company needs more buisness. And their second point is that the college wants to build community among the student body.

Ok, so as far as the company needing more buisness, if it is in fact only the food company that need more money and not the college, I have to ask: how do regular food companies gain more buisness? By forcing people to buy food? No. By making their product desirable so that people want to come and eat there. If they do get the whole campus eating at the commons, will the food be any better? Very debatable. If they were to make the meal plan convenient, cheap, and of good quality, mabye juniors and seniors would want to buy it.

And community? First of all, the commons building itself is not big enough for everyone to eat in. And secondly, who really wants to have to stand in longer lines and be more crowded at the tables? Also, I've only been here for seven months, and I am not making new friends or building community while I eat. I sit with my friends. Sure, I see everyone, but whats different between that and walking down the halls between classes? And finally, isn't there a way to build community between the student body that doesn't cost students 800 dollars?

The college offered a meeting for anyone who was interested in the topic the other night. Close to 200 people showed up, so they had to quickly change to a location that at least offered standing room. Most of us were expecting to be able to hear from the food company, representatives from the board, student services, and maybe even the president. But no, instead one poor man was led to the slaughter. He had few answers and no support. Instead, he just made the student body more convinced to fight the proposal. Supposedly there's another one tonight, maybe this time the college will realize that they need to represent their cause a little stronger.

Seven more days until Spring Break!