By Rejane Migliore
A $1 meal in the cafeteria is a welcome break from lunch in the car for some commuters.
As part of an effort to welcome the 321 commuters on campus and connect them with other students, the Trevecca cafeteria now offers lunch twice a month and dinner once a month for $1 for commuters.
“I have been to many of the dollar meals and I think it is great. It is $1 for everything, not certain meals, it is anything that is in the café,” Becky Davis, a freshman worship arts major, said.
On those days, it’s also a good place to study, she said.
“If you can and want to stay for a few hours and study in the café, you can go back and get a cup of coffee or not. They don’t mind this sort of thing.”
About five years ago, Trevecca officials began a more intentional strategy in serving students who do not live on campus. A survey showed that a large percentage of commuter students were eating lunch and spending time in their cars between classes. A new commuter lounge and a few $1 meals a month have been a response to that survey.
“It caters to the commuters and might allow them the opportunity to come to the cafeteria and hang out with the rest of the students,” Ashley Fussell, Tennessee hall resident director and coordinator for commuter life, said.
The $1 meal started in 2008-2009 school year, offering dinner on the same night of an event on campus. The purpose was to encourage commuter students to eat dinner for $ 1 and participate in the event.
“I believe that I got the idea from Point Loma Nazarene University five years ago when I started to work with commuters,” Matthew Spraker, associate dean of students for community life, said.
Some of the commuter students have purchased the meal plan so they can already do that, but a majority of commuters said they need a place to eat and hang out.
The commuter meal plan costs $555 for 75 meals per semester with a choice of breakfast or lunch, which breaks down to about five meals per week. There are also 15 exchange meals that can be used at The Hub and at The Cube.
Adrienne Corlew, a junior social justice major has purchased the commuter meal plan for this spring semester.
“I purposely get here early to get breakfast and on the days that I have night classes, I try to get to the cafeteria before 4 p.m. Last semester I ended up with 25 meals that I lost because I was not going to the cafeteria enough,” Corlew said.
There are also other Nazarene universities that offer the dollar meal and other options, according to forwarded emails from Spraker. Mount Vernon Nazarene Univeristy and Southern Nazarene University have similar programs. At MidAmerica Nazarene University commuters eat for $1 every Wednesday.
I appreciate the $1 meals, though I have never enjoyed a dinner the lunches are fabulous – sometimes it is simply being with others that you normally wouldn’t be with, enjoying good (fun) conversation and sometimes it is simply the food and I’m hungry! 🙂 Would encourage every commuter to take advantage of this amazing deal… and opportunity.
Thank you Ashley, you ROCK!