BY KHURRAM KHALID
For many, heading into post-secondary is a life-changing experience that requires a lot of money. The average college student struggles with balancing a budget, whether-or-not to buy the latest tech, and most importantly, spending money on food.
Sheridan’s DineOnCampus program offers a large selection of food from popular chains, along with a large cafeteria space. Having a big selection of various foods isn’t a bad thing, especially since the cafeteria is surrounded by a large college environment. But considering the circumstances – broke students paying off loans, a weak economy – do students think prices are fair?
“Honestly, no,” said Tanya Anand. “For those that don’t have jobs, or are still paying off student loans – it’s tough to always buy expensive food from the [cafeteria.]”
While some believe that prices are not fair for college students, others brought up variety. Although there is a wide variety of food options available, there are not many cheap alternatives.
“I feel like there are a lot of options,” said Abbey Baron, a Peer Mentor for Sheridan’s Student Services. “Maybe some cheaper, healthier options could be better. Because right now the only thing cheap is pizza.”
“We need to get more awareness [on our foodbanks]. It’s been under-utilized.” – Steven Lam
Some chains tend to overprice their food specifically for the college, but there are alternatives for students in need. Sheridan offers “emergency food” to anyone who does not have money to eat on that day.
“There are these bins that have cans of soup, and [various] stuff in them,” said Barton. “If you absolutely don’t have money to eat that day, you can get cans of soup, for example.”
The food-drive is organized through the Sheridan Student Union (SSU), and is available to anyone who is running low on cash.
“I think it’s a really great resource,” said Steven Lam, a Customer Service Representative for the SSU. “But I think we need to get more awareness of it.”
The food bank has been in existence since the start of the SSU, which is surprising because not many are aware of these alternate options available to students.
“It’s been under-utilized,” said Lam. “If anyone has any ideas or any ways to promote it, we’d appreciate it.”