Not only did UCA and Aramark fail to notify students that the Christian Cafeteria register system would actually be tracking guest swipes effectively, but they also corrected the issue in the middle of the semester, leaving students and their friends puzzled and hungry.

The total access meal plan allows unlimited meals in the cafeteria with $250 dining dollars at $1,969 per semester.

According to an article from The Echo, page 18 of the Aramark contract from 2022 to 2024 states that the total access meal plan includes 10 guest meals, but the Bear Card website doesn’t mention anything about it.

Last year, after a cashier noticed that the guest swipes were not stopping after 10, Aramark contacted the Bear Card Office and had the error repaired.

After some back-and-forth emailing between General Manager of Dining Services Joshua Gorham and Director of Media Relations Fredricka Sharkey, the biggest conclusion drawn was that no communication even went out about the problem being fixed.

It’s undeniable that students taking advantage of the system’s glitch were unfairly costing the university, but it’s also understandable why college students were so quick to swipe in their friends.

Most were probably oblivious there was a limit, as it’s safe to assume a student didn’t get that far into the Aramark contract, if at all.

Secondly, a free meal, regardless of what it costs the university, is a free meal.

Students from the same news article lament being unable to share meals with their low-income families or commuter friends.

It’s already more expensive to spend money on a dining plan than to buy groceries and cook at home, but students living on campus are required to purchase one.

Those who have to pay their tuition or with families who can barely afford the price of college as is were definitely disheartened after realizing the fantasy of unlimited meals for their friends dissipated with no warning.

It isn’t so much the policy itself but the principle behind not warning students about a university mistake.

One student with infinite swipes could feed the whole campus, so an uncertain number of students abusing the system was likely costing UCA a concerning amount.

Now that room and board rates have increased by 5.17% for the next academic year, it’s crucial that costs can be cut wherever possible.

No one in their right mind wants to pay more for food and education, so UCA or Aramark should’ve been more prepared to announce that the limit was finally being enforced.

Confirming what happened only in the middle of the semester makes it seem like the university wasn’t concerned with addressing it in the first place.

It’s also questionable how such a malfunction in the system could survive for so long.

Were workers turning a blind eye or just as unaware as students of the limit?

Regardless, students should educate themselves on what their dining plans encompass, but they wouldn’t even know where to begin without some digging.

If UCA and Aramark are one with the students and don’t want rates to go up, they should provide a heads-up before imposing what was once a practically invisible policy.