Students at Rutgers this summer are not only worried about the time of their next class, but also when they will have their next meal.

Meal plans are not provided during summer sessions, and Rutgers
students are fending for themselves.

During the fall and spring semesters, students are provided with meal plans. But during the summer, students say, they are left with nothing.

Tyrone Putman, an upcoming junior at Rutgers, is like many other Rutgers students this summer, concerned about finding something to eat each day. "It’s hard and I feel like students should never have to worry about food," he said.

" Many summer jobs in New Brunswick are taken and sometimes the money is
just not there in order to go out to eat or go to the grocery store,” he
said.

Putman is a running back for Rutgers football and the team eats
breakfast for free during the week.

“It’s one less meal to worry about,”
Putman said.

Most summer students are not as fortunate as the football team, and
eating three times a day is a daily struggle.

Students say they may opt for the unhealthy alternatives such as
Wendy’s, pizzerias, or Chinese food that is served at the Rutgers Student Center on the College Avenue Campus.

“We want something quick that does the job. A lot of times I wait to
eat so long, I just want to get full quick,” said sophomore Aleia
Westchester. “I just can’t wait past 7 p.m. since the student center
closes at that time.”

Students also think that eating without a meal plan is too expensive.

Junior Melanie Jones said she’s already paying a lot for housing , and can’t afford the meals.

“Who has the money to eat out every day?” says Jones. “It’s sad because sometimes I just can’t afford to eat.”

One student says that eating this summer is like paying a bill.

"I work to eat. Without my summer job, I wouldn’t know how I would survive,” Marlon Plummer, a Rutgers student, said.

Some students are not affected at all by Rutgers’ choice to not
provide meals during the summer.
Senior Brittnee Lewis thinks that no meal plans in the summer is a good
thing.

“I hardly ever use my meal plans during fall and spring anyway. The
food at Rutgers is extremely unhealthy,” she said.

Without meal plans students are encouraged to cook, she said, and cooking "is way healthier than eating pizza, hamburgers, and hot dogs at the dining halls.”

Even though most students besides Lewis are stressed about not having a meal plan during the summer, some express gratitude for their living facilities. This summer all on-campus housing facilities are apartments

Brittnee Taloni, a junior, said even though there are no meal plans
during summer, "at least we all live in apartments. We at least all have
kitchens. In my apartment we all rotate who cleans, cooks, and buys groceries. “

She said one thing should change next summer.

“Even if the dining halls will not be open, I think that Rutgers should at least provide some type of opportunities for food on the term bill," Taloni said.