Chapter 13:

 

THAT'S THE PLAN

 

Hey, you guys know the drill: If you lived in a traditional residence hall (meaning, not the Towers) you were required to have a meal plan. UD meal plans all had the same total dollar value; the differences were in the combinations of meals and points you elected.

 

The perfect combo? Well, if you’re a current UD student or more recent grad, you had the luxury of choosing from an almost complete sliding scale; anywhere from 5 to 19 meals a week, the balance in points. Dinosaurs like me? Only had four or five different plans to choose from. But they then gradually offered more plans, including the infamous…

 

All Points! Yes, it existed. First offered in 1991 (coincidentally my first year), you could go for ALL points. Eat every meal at the Rodney Market, if you wanted to. And treat your friends. That’s probably why the plan was later revoked.

 

What’s the “point?” I’ve heard that the actual point system was first introduced in 1989. I guess previous to the point system, you’d have meals on your plan, just no points…and you needed to use real green cash (more realistically, spare change) to buy food that a meal didn’t cover. Anyway, points originally were equivalent to a penny each. So, yep, a dining hall lunch that was $4.95 could be purchased for 495 points. YES, an all point $800 meal plan back in my day would initially give you 80,000 points! Later on, the equivalency was changed to a dollar a point. Hey, making the math easier, I guess. You’re welcome, English majors!

 

Dumping Points. This was the best. At the end of the spring semester, when it became “use it or lose it” for any remaining points, we all knew someone with a massive point surplus (usually a girl), about to forfeit them all. “These chips and twelve cases of soda are on YOU, right?”

 

Come on, be FLEXible. September 1993 was when FLEX was introduced. Which kinda screwed up all of the above. I never had a FLEX account because I was halfway done with college by the time it came in, but I’d totally go for it now.

 

The Actual Food. Now, was the dining hall food really that bad? I thought it was pretty good. But I’m not a gourmand, as they say. I’m sorry, using the word “gourmand” in that last sentence was way too classy. I apologize. Here you go: “I’m no f’in gourmand.” You’re welcome.

 

PRACTICAL BLUE HEN BONUS!

 

Below are the "Meal Plans Explained" scanned interior pages from the 1990 / 1991 edition of the PBH, courtesy and copyright of Marc D, UD '91.

 

 

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