University rolls out new unlimited meal plan for underclassmen

Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., is creating a new meal plan only available for underclassmen, The Daily Northwestern reports. 

The new plan—the only option that will be available for underclassmen—is similar to the unlimited meal plan currently offered, which allows students to enter and leave the dining halls as much as they wish. What’s different, however, is that the new meal plan will get rid of equivalency meals, or swipes that offer a preset exchange rate for meals (based on time of day) at campus restaurants, c-stores and cafes. Instead, it will include more WildCat points that students can use at eateries on campus. 

School officials say that by eliminating meal swipes, the new plan will ease confusion about how many times students can enter dining halls, and will also encourage social interaction amongst peers. 

“The big part of what we’re trying to create is an opportunity for students to create community on campus, and we think food is one of these powerful tools that can happen,” Paul Riel, co-chair of the Undergraduate Residential Experience Committee and assistant VP for residential and dining services, told The Daily Northwestern.

Read the full story via dailynorthwestern.com.