With the stipulation that there is always an exception to the rule, no organization is truly as accommodating as one would like. My experience is that this is most certainly true of Northeastern. I have had to do everything short of jumping up and down on one leg, patting my head and rubbing my tummy, all while reciting NU’s mission statement word for word, to get results sometimes, and surely I am not alone in this experience.

That said, when one of Northeastern’s programs is mainly hassle-free, enhances my college experience and stimulates my growth as a person, it’s a real freakin’ treat. The example that immediately comes to mind is the Husky Dollar meal plan, which had been, up until this semester, my meal plan of choice. Sadly though, and much to my dismay, Northeastern abruptly decided to put the kibosh on it.

Now, you may be thinking to yourself, “What the ‘F’ does a meal plan have to do with enhancing a college experience and stimulating growth as a human being?” To me, the plan meant more variety in my meal options, a greater freedom to experiment with the culinary arts and a lesson in budgeting.

All while having a sense of security gained from the knowledge that my food funds were separate and distinct from all other funds, thus squelching temptation to spend those funds elsewhere. This, combined with the fact that my co-op schedule (accounting majors tend to work long hours) did not always fit tidily into the dining hall’s hours of operation, meant that the Dining Dollar plan was essentially the best thing since sliced bread. Coincidence?

I found myself strangely reveling in the newfound freedom and responsibility of buying groceries, planning meals and generally being more involved in the nutritional aspects of my life. There was a certain feeling of dignified self-reliance that was at once scary and intoxicating. This feeling faded after a couple of weeks, but the knowledge that this was a step toward independence was never lost on me.

And I cannot stress enough that I think the Dining Dollar meal plan was an important tool in bridging the gap between the dining hall and using “real money” to buy food. It provided a median point to the two extremes and a wonderful stepping stone. It was a point at which one could learn safely how to budget and gain an understanding of what was realistic to spend on food in a given week without the additional stress of balancing the necessity of sustenance with other expenses.

– Zach Virgilio is a middler accounting major and a member of The News staff.