I was in my “new year, new me” mindset as I drove back to Starkville for the upcoming academic year, but as soon as I neared campus, nostalgia began to take over. The campus was full of maroon and the familiar scent that I love to call the “freshmen smell” filled the air.

I was especially excited to give a Perry Cafeteria tour to new freshmen just as older students once gave to me, but the moment I stepped into Perry, I knew something had changed. The earthy, chilly scent of the old building was gone, replaced by the new wood smell. The fusion of familiar food aromas blending from different stations was missing, too. 

I looked for Planted, which used to be to the right after the check-in desk, where Ms. Annie always greeted us, but both of these areas were gone. True Balance, once on the right as well, had also disappeared. I later found out through the dining website that it would only be housed in the Fresh Food Company hall from now on. I had to remind myself that things are new and to be open to exploring the newness. 

So, I set out to try one of the three new dining concepts: The Beet Drop, a salad bar.

When I started placing my order, it was only a matter of seconds before I realized that while the food had not changed, restrictions had been added. I had to choose only one green, one meat, four flavors, one cheese and one dressing while ordering, and I still ended up paying a massive $15.40 in total. 

On top of that, I did not receive the fresh bread as promised on the menu. Wow, Perry, I guess I need to let go of my nostalgia, as you have changed from all-you-can-eat Perry to choose-one-with-all-the-limitations-applied Perry. Funnily enough, ‘The Beet Drop’ lived up to its name. It dropped my excitement and gave me a bitter mood afterwards. 

This is not the only change I have noticed throughout the years. The previous unlimited meal plan of the 2023 semesters was replaced with a 21-weekly meal plan for the fall 2024. In addition to this, the previous two-block-meal-uses-per-day limit was decreased to one. This change was made under the idea that giving students fewer time restrictions on block meal usage would improve the student dining experience, but instead, it just replaced the previous restriction with a new one.

Another new change is the required purchase of $300 in Dawg Dollars. Though current marketing emphasizes the carrying of this prepaid amount “from semester to semester and from year to year,” it is still sad to see that the university is taking $300 away from all below-age-25 undergrads, including Resident Advisors, who, instead of receiving $125 Dawg Dollars stipend like in previous years, now need to pay for this charge out of pocket.

Given how inflexible this policy is, I do not believe a positive change can be achieved through it. Students are required to pay this charge with their own funds and will not receive any interest on the deposit if it remains unused and is carried over from one semester to the next.

As unhappy as I am with the decision, an email conversation with Mandy Conrad, an assistant clinical professor and director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics, helped restore a bit of optimism.

“While it’s understandable that being required to spend money in a certain way can feel restrictive, the policy is now in place,” Conrad wrote. “Therefore, approaching it as a resource for improving food access and making healthier choices can help maximize its benefit.” 

As much as I appreciate her optimism and respect for our university’s decision, I hope our university will keep the student-first mindset whenever making negotiations with Aramark. As I see it, the dining experience is falling short rapidly, and I hope students, student leaders and others will raise their voices when they should. 

The performance of these new changes has disappointed me, as I remember discussing the changes in classes during the previous semester and feeling optimistic and excited about them. I did not realize that the idea of these changes and the actual experience of them would be so different.

Cheryl Bowen, Executive Director of Budget and Planning, assured me in an email conversation that the Dawg Dollars change “was discussed extensively with students and student leaders when the Aramark contract was being negotiated.” 

My brain is having a hard time comprehending the good mixed with the bad of the new system. For now, I am resting the benefit of the doubt on dining and passing on the judgment to you all.