By Paige Perez
Staff Writer
Campus Town is a very popular spot to hang out for students at the College. However, this year it just got a lot more interesting thanks to an addition to the College’s meal plan: Campus Town Dollars.
But first, what are Campus Town Dollars? The Campus Town Dollars program loads $100 of credit onto students’ IDs, which can be spent in the following locations: Arooga’s, Barnes & Noble Cafe, Crepes & Churros, Frutta Bowl, IndiGrill, Jersey Mike’s, Mexican Mariachi, Mr. Wish, Red Berry, and Yummy Sushi. Although this does not encompass every store located in Campus Town, students still have a wide variety to choose from.
There are, however, aspects of this new currency that I am not very fond of.
For example, I am not a fan of how most students had no choice but to pay $105.00 out of pocket. Now of course this only applies to students who have meal plans and are living on campus. A few of my peers were a little upset about not having the option to opt out of using the Campus Town Dollars. Some of them feel forced to take time out of their busy schedule to go out to Campus Town just to use their Campus Town Dollars.
However, since I have already paid for this feature prior to coming to campus, I have noticed myself spending it more quickly than I would like. It is so easy to tap your ID and go on your merry way. I have to remind myself that these $100 are meant to last the whole year, and I can not spend it within the first month of my having it. It is difficult when there are so many great places where I can spend my money.
Even after you have spent the $100 there is currently no way for students to add more credit to their account. The Residential Education and Housing website states that there will soon be an option for online deposits into your Campus Town Dollars wallet through Student Accounts, but there was no mention of a specific date of when this will be implemented.
A positive that came out of the Campus Town Dollars program is that everything that you pay for is tax-free. I do really enjoy this aspect of the currency because I know at least a portion of my money is not going to taxes. Who would complain about not paying taxes? You will surely not hear a student at the College complaining.
Overall, I would say that the new Campus Town Dollars feature is a good idea, but there should be more flexibility. Until then, the Campus Town Dollars program is here to stay, and I am not entirely upset about that.
