Picture this: You’re placing an order at Spring Street Market when the cashier asks if you’d like to pay with cash, card, or a swipe. What if your meal plan could cover your coffee or some delicious chicken tikka masala from Spice Root? What if this dream were a reality?
It’s time for the College to allow meal swipes at local Spring Street businesses. This simple change would not only provide more options, but also create a more inclusive, convenient, and equitable dining experience for all students.
Each meal swipe costs more than the average of an off-campus meal, forcing students at the College to pay a premium for food options that they often fail to utilize fully. The 21-meal plan costs $8,510 per year, translating to approximately $11 per swipe. (Dining halls are open for 36 weeks a year, so if you went 21 times every week, you would use 756 swipes.) The 14-meal, 50-block, and 5-meal plans, though less pricey overall, are even more costly on a per-swipe basis, charging students $14, $17, and $19 for a meal, respectively.
As a first-year on the mandatory 21-meal plan, I use about 18 swipes per week, wasting three swipes on average. Sometimes I don’t make full use of my meal swipes because of the limited breakfast options on weekends or because I have free food provided at extracurricular events. Effectively, my cost per swipe goes up to around $13.
Meanwhile, non-dining hall options offer better deals: I can grab a sandwich at Pappa Charlie’s for $10 or dinner at Tony’s Sombrero for $13. Instead of paying the equivalent of $39 in swipes, I could be paying $29 on Spring Street.
Students are often aware that they’re wasting swipes and thus money, and as such some seniors might even move off campus in order to switch onto a less expensive meal plan. As a result, the College loses out on potential revenue from their meal plans. Students on full aid — about 16 percent of the College — have the opportunity to reduce their plan to 14 meals per week and pocket a stipend of $1000, which can be used on Spring Street. While generous of the College, more money subsequently flows out from meal plan revenue. My proposed integration of Spring Street with the swipe system would allow students to enjoy a greater variety of cuisines and could entice plenty of students to sign back up for (or increase their investment in) the newly expanded, more flexible meal plans that incorporate the options students are currently choosing.
While some students can afford to dine on Spring Street regularly, for many — especially the 52 percent of students on financial aid — it’s an option that is financially out of reach. Students living on campus are not allowed to opt out of the meal plan — though doing so wouldn’t be feasible either (how would I cook my dinner in Mission kitchen?). Thus, students have to spend additional out-of-pocket funds to enjoy Spring Street’s offerings.
Even with the personal expense grant, eating out with friends isn’t so simple. Many students, including myself, quite frankly feel guilty about spending additional funds on food when the dining hall is included in their room and board fees. Expanding swipe options to local businesses would give all students a chance to enjoy Williamstown’s variety of dining options without added guilt and financial burden.
Spring Street businesses could adopt a system like Goodrich Coffee Bar’s, offering designated meal options for a swipe alongside their regular menu. While I know that this plan is ambitious, it is something the College should prioritize in part because many students complain to prospective students about our terrible food options. And they aren’t wrong. As evidenced by our “C” grade in “Campus Food” on Niche, we are completely outmatched by many peer schools when it comes to dining. Imagine if instead, students gushed to prospective students about how they can grab a Dr. Strangepork from Pappa Charlie’s or a coffee and pastry from Tunnel City Coffee, all for just a swipe.
Furthermore, after businesses grow accustomed to the system, a swipe could be used to pay a certain portion of any bill on Spring Street — say $10 — with the rest of the bill footed by other means: cash, card, or perhaps even EphPoints. At the end of each month, the College could reimburse vendors based on the cost of their preselected “swipe-meal” or the subsidy. And, by slightly depreciating a swipe’s value on Spring Street (at $10, instead of the average meal-plan value of more than $13), the College can pocket the difference between the average swipe cost and the reimbursed amount. This partnership would enhance dining options while supporting local businesses, creating a win-win for students and the community alike.
Some may argue that this system would leave the dining halls empty. But students will most likely still take advantage of all-you-can-eat dining for enough meals to keep them afloat. If this isn’t the case, and Spring Street businesses become overrun during lunch hours, then the College could set a limit on the number of swipes used on Spring Street.
Other institutions have successfully integrated local dining options into their meal plans. The University of Washington, for instance, allows students to use their dining cards at popular locations like Starbucks and Pagliacci Pizza. Similarly, many universities, recognizing the importance of student choice in fostering a vibrant campus culture, are beginning to adopt flexible meal plans that include non-standard dining options. Put simply, it works.
Allowing students to use meal swipes on Spring Street would bolster the local economy and provide all students with equitable access to diverse dining experiences. It’s time for the College to stop treating Spring Street as an afterthought in the dining experience and embrace its central role in student life.
Henry Gold ’28 is from Chicago, Ill.
