_Rachel Schnelle is a sophomore journalism major at MU. She is an opinion columnist who writes about student life for The Maneater._

In 2016, MU launched the Tiger Plan. This new dining plan gave students the ability to purchase food at on-campus restaurants outside of dining halls. Just recently, due to the increase in students from the class of 2023, the Campus Dining Services meal plan got a new upgrade. Students are now able to use their regular swipes at all restaurants on campus. While this is convenient for students, it is not for the restaurants and CDS employees.

According to Campus Dining Services, this service employs 650 students. The students are an integral part of this campus jobs and are vital to the success of dining halls.

There are 13 different dining hall services and convenience stores scattered around MU’s campus. Each dining hall service has a variety of foods which creates different types of jobs for student employees.

Every day during lunchtime, the lines of the MU Student Center are extremely long. While this might’ve happened on campus last year, it seems to be more of a problem this year.

According to the College of St. Scholastica, 70 to 80% of college students are active in part-time jobs. While working as a full-time student can be difficult, it allows students to be able to have extra money or pay for their tuition.

It’s also easier for students who work at campus locations to work around their class schedules. This is because they are students first and classes are the most important part about college.
Hearing all of the benefits of working on campus sounds like the perfect fit for any student.

Now that dining hall plans have completely changed, CDS employees may be rethinking their decisions.

While the increase in students may play a role, the change in dining plans made the situation even worse. While this change has made the process of food accessibility on campus easier, it has added stress on campus employees.

_Edited by Bryce Kolk | bkolk@themaneater.com_