It’s only the second week of school and already some students are fed up with University Dining Services and the new Flexfunds that limit students on how much they can spend at the Union.

What are students supposed to do when their Flexfunds are spent and there is nothing open besides the Union?

Take this past weekend for example: during Labor Day weekend the only place on campus that was open after 7 p.m., was the Union. Many students are probably afraid to use their money there because they will not have much left for the last 16 weeks of school.

With the minimum meal plan only including $75 of Flexfund money how can students make that last for 17 weeks?

The dollar amount of the Flexfunds that were designated from each meal plan came from an average amount of money that was spent at the Union last year, according to Linda Newman in a past BG News interview.

If students went to the Union last year they would know that it was always crowded and busy all day long, especially at night with Zza’s and Wendy’s. It was the place to eat . Traffic in the Union last year was like getting on the expressway during rush hour.

Now, if students get hungry after midnight and want a late night snack or a break from an all nighter, where are they supposed to go once their pocket change is used up?

Seventy-five dollars is nothing in proportion to the $1,125 meal plan. If students go to the Union once a day and buy a pretzel and a smoothie, their money would be gone in no time at all.

Flexfunds simply seems to be a bad idea on the part of the University and Dining Services. Dining Services needs to consider other options and ways to get money for the other dining centers rather than limiting students to where they can eat and where they are able to spend their money.

The University as a whole decided to build the Union and put all the fast food and other restaurants there. Why should the students be the ones to suffer the consequences of the University’s mistakes?

There has to be other ways to provide funding for Dining Services besides this. If the University does not decide to use alternate methods to obtain funding, they should at least consider making the amount of Flexfunds a larger amount than “the average.” At least make it so students can eat one meal there each day. Even if students eat small portions, $75 is unlikely to cover a semesters.