Listen to grumbling student stomachs Student discontent with the Dining Services and the meal plan is by no means an unfamiliar sentiment on UVM’s campus. The quality, cost and variety of food are issues that have been raised everywhere from casual conversation to the floors of SGA Senate. The recent proposal to increase the meal plan costs by approximately 30 percent or an average of $800 comes as the newest shock to many students.Luckily, however, this proposed price hike was rejected with a majority vote in the SGA Senate, an decision obviously made with both the student body’s wallets and well being in mind. Students need to eat. They should not have to worry about affording to do so.Furthermore, although the service at most University eating establishments is exceptional, the quality of the food and the relatively high cost has not provided Sodexho and the University with substantial weight in the argument for students to pay them even more money.The SGA, although sometimes inaccurate in representing the student body’s desires despite best intentions, has certainly heard the voice of the people in this particular instance. Students are already struggling to justify the current economics that come with eating on campus, but with no other choice they buy into the meal plan system.The Meal Plan Task Force that has been created in these manners should re-examine their approach to meal plan restructuring and focus on bringing the quality of dining on campus to a level that is suitable and, if it is still deemed necessary, merits a price increase in the meal plans.We applaud SGA for taking the concerns of the student body into consideration when deliberating and ultimately rejecting this particular issue. We encourage them to work further with the proper organizational bodies to improve the quality of dining on campus and to work on a compromise that is both reasonable and completely justifiable in whatever cost it ultimately incurs.We further encourage the Board of Trustees to closely consider the outcome of the SGA’s vote on this particular matter when they make the final financial decision regarding meal plans on campus.The people have spoken and the SGA rewarded them with a decision that is just, and, more importantly, justifiable. Students deserve to eat in a healthy, varied and affordable matter. Until this is reached, any significant price increases should not stand in the realm of conceivability.