Beginning Monday Oct. 20 and continuing through Friday Oct. 24, Sodexo managers are giving students an opportunity to convert meals to points to pay for food outside cafeterias.
During this time, students can convert up to 25 meal-plan meals, at $5 a meal to so-called dining dollars that students can use at dining locations other than the cafeteria, such as the Mountain Cat Club, Brioche and Jazzman’s Café and Bakery.
To access the conversion program, students must log into user services on the Pitt-Johnstown website and click on a Dining and Mountain Cat cash button.
Student Government Foods Committee Chairperson Megan Taylor says that she feels that the meal trade will be beneficial for students, and she plans on participating in the conversion.
At least four students said they plan to participate in the conversion program, even though two said they thought they were losing money.
“I think it’s a great idea because it gives students who cannot afford to purchase more points […] the opportunity to get more,” junior Victoria Mercado said.
Other students also plan to participate in the conversion, but seem hesitant because the money is not adding up.
“I’m definitely going to participate in it, but I think that $5 a meal is unfair, junior Nicole Gross said.
“We should be getting the full amount that we paid for. I think it is a good idea, but we are still getting ripped off.”
Student Government Senator senior Joe Rizkalla is one of the students who said he feels as though the Tuck Shop is overpriced, and that $5 will not cover the cost of one meal.
“$5 for a meal is unfair, seeing as you can’t get a meal from the Tuck for $5,” Rizkalla said.
Gross adds that she runs out of points easily because she feels like the Tuck Shop is overpriced.
Some students seem to like the idea of the conversion program and while some are not completely fond of it.
“We as students are giving up a lot of money in order to participate in this,” Rizkalla said.
Gross says that she believes that each meal costs about $13 for a café meal, and she feels that students should be getting 100 percent of that because that it what students paid for.
