New Cafeteria Regulations Enforced, Students Upset

Published 2-25-09
http://www.doaneline.com/new-cafeteria-regulations-enforced-students-upset-1.1573821

New regulations requiring cashiers to scan students’ ID cards for meals have caused mixed feelings among Doane students.

The new policy, which is in effect for the cafeteria, Tiger Inn, and Common Grounds, requires employees to scan students’ ID cards, instead of students swiping the cards themselves.

Tony Hayes, the dining services general manager, said the new policy allowed cashiers time to greet the student, as well as giving them time to make sure the student wasn’t out of meal plans, which had become a problem recently.

“We’ve had students sneaking in or swiping their cards twice, but they can’t do that,” said Hayes. “I sat down with the managers and staff, and they agree. People have been jumping line; it’s getting out of control. It’s not many students, but more than I’m used to.”

Hayes, who worked at Creighton University for eight years, said they always used that system there.

“Out of all the other places I’ve worked, none of them let students swipe their own cards,” he said. “The cashier takes the card, looks at it, and then swipes it. I don’t understand what the big deal is.”

Still, some students feel this new system is unnecessary.

“I think it’s a little bit ridiculous that they give us the cards and everything, and we pay a lot to go here, but the one thing we can’t do is swipe our own cards,” sophomore John Carvana said. “I don’t think the employees need to be doing it. We can do it ourselves.”

Freshman Bailey Peyton said the new policy seems useless.

“It is a waste of time, and pointless,” she said. “People are still going to use other people’s cards. This just ends up taking more time.”

Sharing meal credits is not allowed, though.

“They should be told at the office what the rules are when they sign up for their meal plan. The college knows,” Hayes said. “The reason is it’s not fair to other students. It lowers the number of people who are on meal plans. If everyone shared their meals, nobody would be buying their own plans. That’s not right. If people stopped sharing meals, the college would be better off, and there would be more specials.”

Some people believe these rules are unfair to students.

“We already pay for our meals,” said Carvana. “Last year, I didn’t have anytime meals, and I’d get hungry outside of the meal times, because I was still getting used to the time zone. So I’d get hungry at strange times, but I couldn’t use my meals. I had to either borrow meals from a friend or not eat.”

Peyton agrees that students should be able to share meal credits with other students.

“I really don’t see what the problem is with students using other people’s meal plans, as long as the student is willing,” she said. “I don’t know why it matters to the school whose meal plan it is.”

Though what it comes down to, Hayes said, is cost.

“Some students have been taking food from the Tiger grab-and-go option without scanning their cards,” said Hayes. “It’s not a lot of them; most of the students are very honest. But when students do that, it raises our costs, which will eventually lead to rising student costs. We’re not here to give away free meals. It’s my job; trying to save loss in ways that won’t hurt the service. I’m not here to hurt anybody, I’m here to try and make things better for students.”