Ew, what is that? Is it moving? Did it just wink at me? Most of the time, Brandeisians do not have to concern themselves with these questions when trying to decide what to eat in the dining halls, yet there are other questions that do arise. Does that color look right to you? Chicken, again? Does this university know of any fruit other than melon? In the grand scheme of things, our meal options are not bad; therefore, my complaint is not with the quality—it is how little us first-years were informed about how the dining process operated.
Over the summer we were told about the different meal plan options and were told to pick one. The issue primarily being, how do we know which one will be right for us? There is some degree of trial and error that is needed and every student is different, however there could be a clearer basis for informing first years of the reality behind each of the options. The options consist of a 19 Meal Plan, which includes $250 in points per semester; 15 Meal Plan, which includes $600 in points per semester; 12 Meal Plan, which includes $850 in points per semester; 10 Meal Plan, which includes $650 in points per semester. The number associated with the plan is the number of meals to be eaten weekly in the dining halls, yet the concept of points was never explained. Presently, if you go on the Brandeis Campus Card Office webpage, they provide a target balance plan for points usage. This is helpful, but I still have no idea what I could be purchasing with these points. Therefore, would I want to purchase a plan with more meals or points? It was not until after I purchased my dining plan and got to campus that I learned there is a Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks and Einstein Bakery, among other dining options, on campus that utilize points. The basis I was previously referring to would advise those who prefer grabbing a quick muffin and coffee for breakfast or bagel for lunch to select the dining plan with more points than full meals.
Reflecting, I made the wrong decision in choosing the 12 meal plan. The quick meal stops around campus, such as Subconnection and Curritos, are good once or twice a week, but are not extremely filling or satisfying. Spur of the moment, I joined the crew team and as an athlete, I find that the dining halls are sufficiently better after a workout. Since I can choose from the different options, I tend to eat healthier and feel more energetic after eating proteins, vegetables and grains offered during that meal. With the optionality of the dining halls, students can be as healthy, adventurous and eat as much as they desire. The dining halls offer vegetarian options and have a My Zone area for students with allergies and dietary restrictions. Emma Black ’22, an on and off vegetarian for three years, claims, “Although the vegetarian options are sparing, the dining halls do produce better optionality than the smaller restaurants on campus.”
It is important to know yourself and recognize that your dietary needs may be suitable for different meal plans. The one you may have signed up for may not be working for your needs, and that is normal. Last week was the first time I ran out of weekly meal swipes and instead of informing me of this simple fact, the cashier told me my card was not working. This confusingly stressful situation taught me that if you do run out of meal swipes, don’t fret—you can use your guest swipes or points to enter into the dining hall, just make the cashier aware of your method of payment. If you do need to change your meal plan, you can email the campus card office your name, Sage ID and which meal plan you would like to switch to at campuscard@brandeis.edu.
Another annoyance of the dining halls is the weird hours they are open. Lower Usdan is open Monday through Thursday: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m., Friday: 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and closed on the weekend. Sherman is Monday through Thursday: 7 a.m. – 10 a.m. and 11a.m. – 9 p.m., Friday: 7 a.m. – 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 8 p.m., Sunday: 9:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.. Unfortunately, the hours are deceiving. Just because the dining halls claim to be open, it does not mean they are serving all the food you would expect. For example, I would highly warn against going to Sherman between 3 p.m.-5 p.m, as they only serve the grill food and, personally, I do not believe it is worth the meal swipe.
Ultimately, the lack of information regarding the dining process at Brandeis is a nuisance, but can definitely be learned through trial and error. For all of those who complain about the food, try to stay positive, as it could be a lot worse. The best thing is to find the meal plan most suited for your on-campus schedule.
