With freshman meal plans costing $3,495 this semester alone, many other freshmen are attempting to take advantage of the promise of unlimited food. Freshman Nadira Rhea is one such student, but she, like many others, has run into an issue with her on-campus dining.
After only two weeks of school, she reports 11 consecutive bouts of food poisoning from eating at Observatory Hill (O-Hill) dining hall.
“Y’know, I think it’s the location. O-Hill is right next to my dorm, so it’s easy to grab food going to and from classes. And with the unlimited meal plan, I don’t have to worry about conserving meal swipes,” she commented about the dining hall.
“Plus, since I’ve already paid for it, I might as well get my money’s worth.”
When asked if she was aware of sunk-cost fallacy, Rhea admitted she was not, but mentioned that it “seemed entirely unrelated” to her issue.
Rhea had to end the interview early to use the restroom, muttering “damn fajitas” under her breath as she left. Her roommate stepped in, offering a comment of her own.
“I’ve tried to tell Dira, she just insists that it’s ‘not that bad’. It is. We’re two weeks into the semester, our room has smelled like vomit since day three. I know frat houses on Saturday mornings that smell better,” she said.
When asked if she had any advice for rising freshmen, she added:
“I know the freshman meal plans are highway robbery, but they’ve purged your bank account, don’t forfeit the contents of your stomach too.”
