From the dawn of our college years to the sunset, the Georgia State student will encounter many expenses. Tuition, housing, books, supplies, parking, gas, and printing are several expenses that deplete our pockets and take our souls along with them. With these reoccurring costs, we may not be able to catch that concert, purchase that new jacket, or get those airline tickets, but we can afford one basic human need and that is eating…or so we thought.
Complaints about the costs of food in Georgia State eateries are circulating around campus. Students and even professors feel they are getting ripped off by marked-up prices. With that being said, there are two things you must know if you are a student who feels this way: You are indeed getting ripped off and this won’t change. It’s no secret that campus food is overpriced. So the question becomes “why is it marked-up?” The short answer is convenience.
Any venue that sells food will have overpriced food because it’s convenient for the customers. No one wants to leave a movie, an amusement park, or a concert to get a bite to eat. These places even go as far as prohibiting outside food from the venue. This same tactic is being used at Georgia State.
Students get thirsty and hungry at some point on campus. We’ve already been to a few classes and we’ve finally got a break. The break is all but 45 minutes before our next course begins. Already your options are limited and restricted to the campus grounds. If you take your car out then you’ll have to pay for parking again. A MARTA trip could cause you to be late for your class upon returning. You could walk to a local eatery but once you calculate the walking distance you realize that only leaves you ten minutes to stuff your face. So you do what we all do. You eat at one of our very own campus eateries. Georgia State is very aware of this convenience that they provide for you and they’re milking the cow. So what can we do about this?
You’ve got to make food access more convenient for YOU. This may sound elementary, but pack your lunch. Why did we lose this childhood tradition? It’s honestly one of the most valuable things we could’ve learned as a child. Packing your lunch not only saves money but leads to healthier food options. “But won’t my food get spoiled on campus?” That’s why insulated lunch bags were invented. They don’t cost much and will prove to be loyal. There are microwaves on campus as well for hot lunches. We don’t have to pay for marked-up food. We just have to rid ourselves of complacency and put the dollar in the right hands.
