A recent student campaign has started on campus within the past month urging students not to purchase a structured meal plan from Chartwells, the University’s third party dining service provider.
Student Government Association Senator Kyle Anderson is leading the campaign. Anderson claims that Chartwells is taking advantage of students every time a meal is used by the meal plan service.
Anderson recently contacted the SGA Senate in an attempt to garner their support for the campaign. On Tuesday, April 14, some members of the senate gave their support for the campaign after Anderson presented his campaign to the Senate meeting.
Anderson compiled a piece of propaganda material to distribute to students encouraging them to not purchase a meal plan for the 2015-2016 school year.
“The current margin of profit for a meal in the (cafeteria) is around three dollars,” Anderson said. “This is higher at TTU than at any other TBR institution in the State of Tennessee.”
An info graphic designed by Anderson shows that some meal plans are double the cost of the meal it buys. The main selling point of the anti-meal plan campaign is to save students money, while at the same time promote the consumption of healthier foods.
“You can eat off campus for roughly the same cost while enjoying healthier and better quality food,” Anderson said. “Even if you eat at The Perch and Swoops, you will still save money opting out of a meal plan.”
Anderson said, “This is a great opportunity for SGA to be seen in a positive light by the people that we represent.”
However, SGA President Emily McDonald wished to clarify that the "Meal Plan" project is not an SGA sponsored project or event.
“Some of our SGA members took it upon themselves to research and promote their findings,” said McDonald. The information on their flyer is not endorsed or sponsored by SGA.”