Food gives us the energy to work and learn. It also connects us to friends, family and the community. A meal plan is one of the first things listed for college costs and it has a significant impact on students.
It is incredibly important for first-year freshmen to have food, so Mississippi State University requires a meal plan. According to MSU Dining Services, a meal plan is mandatory for freshmen because of the benefits of nutrition and socialization, and these characteristics accompany a meal plan.
It is beneficial for students who struggle with food security and for students starting to live on their own, which is why MSU makes it mandatory for freshmen to have one of the top meal plans.
However, it can be a waste of money for freshmen who often go to places downtown for food, or go home every weekend to have a meal plan they will not fully use. This is why it would be great if the university and the Starkville community adopt a new program allowing students to use block meals and flex dollars at local businesses, so they get the full value of their meal plan.
Although MSU has diverse options to choose from when it comes to food offered on campus, the dining service at Auburn University has 32 restaurants and eight food trucks on their campus, according to Auburn Dining. Students at MSU would have more restaurants to choose from in downtown Starkville, which is only an eight-minute drive from campus.
Bulldog Bash has a huge impact on the local economy according to Starkville Daily News because the city makes money off of two percent beverage and food tax. The MSU Student Association also benefits from Bulldog Bash, which earns them $425,000 annually from the two percent tax budget. If students were motivated to go downtown because their block meals make it more affordable, there would be great economic return from this program for MSU and the city of Starkville.
MSU has a unique opportunity to get its students involved in the community and the local economy. If both MSU Dining Services and local restaurants work together to adopt this program, it would be very beneficial for students and local businesses. It would help MSU and Starkville set an example for other colleges in Mississippi and even across the South.