Most of you have heard that Starbucks and Subway may be coming to campus. According to a brief published in Tuesday’s edition of The BG News, “the two chains were the highest ranked choices on a student survey,” which was adminstered by University Dining Services in April. One would assume, then, that students are excited about the potential additions. Maybe this is what UDS has in mind.

It is no secret that Flexfunds are about as popular as a root canal. University Dining Services has taken a lot of criticism for the recently implemented policy. Some students believe that the policy is unfair and inconvenient. However, this is not the point of the editorial. We would just like to review the pros and cons of the addition of Subway and Starbucks.

First, let’s talk about Subway. If added, it is set to take the place of the Neighborhood Deli in Chily’s. This is a welcome addition for two reasons: First, Subway is a more familiar and desirable sandwich to those students who haven’t had the pleasure of eating a Chily’s sub.

The second reason, and maybe most important, is the location. It’s not in the Union, which means the Flexfunds policy has no jurisdiction over how many Subway sandwiches you can buy. This addition could prove successful.

Now, moving on to Starbucks. It is probably one of the most popular franchises in America. It not only sells delicious coffee and other snacks, but it sells an atmosphere. Where else can you go to just sit and relax with the sweet aroma of fresh-brewed coffee floating about the room? Now, that you are craving a cup of coffee, we will tell you the problem with the Starbucks addition: location.

Starbucks is set to take the place of the Black Swamp Pub in, you guessed it, the Union. The almighty Flexfund rears its evil head once more.

Starbucks will torture students once their $75 limit runs out. They will be forced to drool as they catch a whiff of the sweet smell of coffee. However, let’s not forget the other aspect of Starbucks: the atmosphere.

Even if the Flexfund policy denies you the right to use your meal plan to buy coffee, you can still go inside and simply enjoy the atmosphere. Like most coffee shops, it should be a nice quite place to study, have a group meeting or sit between classes.

These additions will by no means make students forget about the injustice of the Flexfund policy, but it should curb the anger a bit. It would definitely show that maybe UDS is actually doing something in the students’ best interst. That would be a welcome addition.