Defending Hewitt

Not a day goes by when I, a first-year living on the Barnard Quad, don’t overhear someone griping along the lines of, “The meal plan is so expensive. There’s no way I’ll eat over $2,000 worth of food this semester!” But contrary to popular belief, Barnard girls can get their money’s worth on the unlimited meal plan.

Every Barnard student who lives on the Quad (except those living in Sulzberger Tower) is obligated to enroll in an unlimited meal plan. The cost of this program appears incredibly high at $2,371 for the regular unlimited plan and $2,500 for the kosher unlimited plan.

Sadly, everything in New York City is expensive. After tuition, housing, books, and subway fare, the cost of the mandatory meal plan is a hard pill to swallow. This is especially difficult given the number of alternatives in our vicinity—we live in a city where cafes, restaurants, grocery stores, and hotdog stands line the streets.

Though the meal plan seems quite extravagant, the cost is actually reasonable in the context of food prices in NYC. Lunch at Hewitt is priced at $7.25. Down Broadway, a slice of plain pizza at Koronet costs $3.25; a small cup of yogurt with two toppings at Pinkberry is priced at $3.95; and a side dish bowl of wonton soup at Ollie’s is $1.95. While eating out is fun, it adds up quickly—especially if you hope to eat dining hall quantities.

So we might wonder, wouldn’t it be cheaper to cook for ourselves? While potentially cheaper, cooking for oneself does not provide the quantity or variety that Hewitt offers, and it certainly cannot buy us more time to finish our reading for a seminar or to check over a problem set. Though we could feasibly make ourselves dinner in the dorms for a nominal price, the meal plan is a worthwhile investment for its variety and the time it saves.

Due to the quantity, quality, variety, and convenience of the Barnard Dining Services, the meal plan is the best dining option on the table. When entering Hewitt, a student will find an incredibly broad menu ranging from salads to pizza and from stir-fry to cereal. Outside of the dining halls, it’s quite difficult for a student to have a cheeseburger, Thai noodles, mashed potatoes, and banana yogurt in the same meal, unless one has hours on end to cook or scavenge for food (and we all know that is never the case).

Furthermore, the Barnard Dining Services caters to a broad range of dietary needs. In addition to the prominent kosher program, Hewitt is constantly stocked with halal, vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options, according to Director of Operations Goldi Juer. Plus, the staff is quite knowledgeable and helpful in meeting students’ dietary and allergy needs.

Not only does the meal plan enable Barnard students to eat large quantities in a large variety, it is also incredibly convenient. Closer than any restaurant or market, Hewitt is easily accessible to Barnard Quad residents. Plus, with near continuous service at either Java City or Hewitt from 8 a.m. to midnight, students are sure to find time to eat—no matter how hectic their schedules are. As someone with school and social commitments until seven or eight at night, I have been able to eat at my leisure thanks to late-night hours.

But Quad residents are not just paying for the luxury of unlimited swipe access to Hewitt Dining Hall, late-night snacks, and points that can be used at Java City. Additionally, Quad residents subsidize Barnard traditions and the College’s sustainability measures, according to Dining Services Director Al Sorbera. Beloved events including “Big Sub” and “Midnight Breakfast” are run and coordinated by Barnard Dining Services with the financial support of the various meal plans. With a little school spirit, it is clear that students do reap reciprocal benefits.

Sure most of us won’t eat a three-course meal three or four times a day, but for the convenience, variety, and extras that the cost of the Barnard unlimited meal plan covers, we can still make the most of our required investment. So cough up your unlimited meal plan contract and eat up.

The author is a Barnard College first-year.