Students living in Chapultepec and Huaxyacac – SDSU’s westernmost freshman dorms dubbed “Chappy” and “Huaxy”– say that distance from most food options on campus and the costs of nearby options has led them to spend extra money or limit their food intake. 

Currently, SDSU provides three meal plan options:

1. Flex 5
2. Flex 7 
3. Meals Plus

Even though Meals Plus is the most expensive option, it provides only $21.88 per day, while Flex 7, the plan below Meals Plus, provides $28.39 per day, according to SDSU Dining. 

This difference in debit dollar amounts is offset by the number of meal swipes (valued at up to $19.50 each) provided per plan. Flex 7 includes 10 meals per academic year, while Meals Plus includes 102. 

Although this explains the difference in debit dollar amounts, students in these dorms still find it difficult to get a week’s worth of food.

First-year Huaxy resident Leah Poteet said that this issue has led her to say, “Okay, I guess I’m not eating lunch today,” on multiple occasions.  

Last semester, Poteet had the Meals Plus meal plan.

“It’s a trek from Huaxy to really any food place on campus, especially the only places that take meal swipes, UTK and The Garden,” Poteet said.

The walk from Huaxy or Chappy to The Garden takes about 20 minutes, according to Google Maps. The walk to UTK takes about 15 minutes from both dorms with UTK being the closest location that accepts meal swipes. 

As a result, Poteet said that she often chooses closer food options which she says are “expensive.”

Huaxy and Chappy share three food options – Big City Bagel Cafe, an Aztec Market and a rotating selection of food trucks.

BCB offers smaller items such as doughnuts or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for under $5. 

However, students looking for more substantial meals may need to spend upwards of $15. 

According to Poteet, the price of a meal at the food trucks can easily use up most, if not all, of her daily debit dollars.

Lastly, the Aztec Market, which functions like a convenience store, also offers smaller items, such as sandwiches and wraps, for under $10, but students wanting a whole meal may need to spend $10 to $15 on options from the frozen section. 

Poteet also said that having debit dollars and meal swipes roll over hasn’t helped much.

“Other meal plans get more money per day, but it doesn’t roll over. But I never have enough money at the end of the week for it to roll over,” she said. 

The only thing she has saved up is 34 meal swipes, which she said can be difficult to redeem.

With each meal swipe valued up to $19.50, Poteet has banked $663 total. She now must go out of her way to redeem those swipes or risk wasting about 10% of her yearly food budget. 

But, on days when she runs out of debit dollars and can’t make it to The Garden or UTK, she must either skip meals or pay out of pocket for closer options, according to her.

Aztec Shops, an auxiliary of SDSU that oversees SDSU Dining and student meal plans, said it is open to criticism and has taken it into account in the past. 

Additionally, Aztec Shops say that students who are dissatisfied with their meal plan may switch plans by visiting the SDSU Dining office. 

The change requires a $10 fee and can be made at select times throughout the year. The SDSU Dining FAQ page provides updates on when students may change their plans. 

Leah Harris, another resident of Chappy, has used Flex 7 since the start of the fall semester and says the plan works much better for students living in Huaxy and Chappy. 

“I don’t think there are any outstanding downsides to Flex 7. The only thing that Meals Plus has the advantage on is that their money rolls over,” Harris said. 

Despite some budgeting issues at the beginning of the semester, Harris said she usually has money left over at the end of the week. Rather than losing that money, she uses it to stock up on extra food.

Harris also said she preferred the smaller number of meal swipes because of her distance from both The Garden and UTK. The extra debit dollars allow her to eat at the places closest to her dorm without worrying as much about overspending. Students interested in contacting SDSU Dining may visit the SDSU Dining Website.