By Jilian Geer
College can be a stressful time for students who have to balance their jobs, academics, and social lives, all while trying to incorporate nutritious meals into their daily lives at the same time. Students often find that they don’t have enough time to cook or money in their budget to shop for healthy options, which opens up an opportunity for students to share their unused swipes with fellow students in need.
Many universities have meal plan options that grant students meal swipes at various on-campus dining locations throughout the week. The structure for meal plans doesn’t account for the diverse needs that students from all backgrounds face. This leads to the unfortunate reality of some students having extra swipes that will go to waste while others have to worry about where their next meal comes from.
The University of Tampa has both resident and commuter meal plan options for students to choose from. Resident options range from seven meals per week up to unlimited for most dining options, while commuter plans allow 15, 25, or 35 swipes to be bought at once, which can only be used at Ultimate Dining and Panache.
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and fostering a sense of community are important values at UT, so these beliefs should be extended to all aspects of campus life, including dining services. Allowing students to share unused meal swipes with those in need is a great opportunity for UT to create a generous and compassionate culture for our school while also combatting the food insecurity that many students deal with.
An important factor of this argument is food insecurity. People may think that both on and off-campus students at UT have access to healthy meals regularly; however, this is not the case, as some students are very familiar with not being able to afford nutritious options. Also, full-time students who have to work to pay for housing and food may find it hard to cook a nutritious meal. Ensuring no student goes hungry due to financial or time restrictions by letting students swipe for others is a powerful message that can be sent to the academic community to demonstrate our inclusive values.
Swipe-sharing benefits not only the students who receive the meals but also those who give them them. This act of kindness encourages students to look out for each other and consider other peoples’ needs, increasing empathy and other critical life skills. These lessons will resonate with students far beyond campus life but will be carried into future careers and life experiences.
Critics may believe that swipe sharing can lead to an overuse of swipes and that students are already aware of the policy on the website, which clearly states that meal swipes are only for personal use. Enforcing guidelines and creating a system that tracks swipes to ensure they are being shared responsibly can help reduce these concerns. With an effective plan, the benefits of swipe sharing for our school community could surpass any negative effects.
Overall, swipe sharing is not just for students needing free meals; it is a way for The University of Tampa to reinforce its values of establishing an inclusive community that values students’ needs. A swipe might seem like a simple act of kindness; however, showing generosity towards someone in a time of need is a big step toward creating a supportive environment for students to thrive. Let’s take this opportunity to recognize the worth of every student on campus and work towards alleviating food insecurity so that no one on our campus needs to wonder where their next meal will come from.