Simmons students have expressed concern and dissatisfaction following significant changes to dining options on campus and throughout the Colleges of the Fenway in fall 2023.
Notably, the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and Wentworth Institute of Technology “will no longer support the Fenway Card or Fenway Cash program- unless otherwise noted for specific campus services,” as noted in a press release by the Colleges of the Fenway.
Fenway Cash is a prepaid account for students allowing them to make cashless purchases at participating colleges and businesses in the Fenway area.
“The system is paid for through a company primarily for meal plan management,” said Suzy Mason, Senior Director of Collaborative Business Services for the Colleges of the Fenway in an interview. “Simmons and Emmanuel [College] use it more than the others, Fenway Cash being an additional add-on. The other three campuses don’t use the part of the system that was being paid for.”
Mason confirmed that Fenway Cash is accepted at Simmons and Emmanuel College for the 2023-24 academic year. She additionally said that across the Colleges of the Fenway, approximately 48% of students actively used Fenway Cash last academic year.
“Nutritionally, what qualifies as a meal swipe is not a meal,” said second-year Claire Tuquero. “It’s not enough, nor is it balanced.” Tuquero emphasized that information should have been communicated by Simmons directly. Some students told the Voice they found out about the new regulations from dining hall employees.
When Tuquero ran out of meal swipes, she signed up for the REEF Center’s donated meal swipe program. However, she had trouble obtaining the donated swipes, and Tuquero relied on people around campus to swipe her into the dining hall.
Third-year student Luciana Libis said “You should be able to eat what you want. It’s not the kitchen staff’s fault, but [the meal swipe policy] is just not conducive to a healthy learning environment.” She believes that people who attend women-centered institutions tend to more frequently face things like body dysmorphia.
Second-year student Juliette Van Houten said, “A cup of grapes and a bag of chips should not qualify as a meal swipe…[Simmons] is absolutely not promoting healthy eating habits, and changes need to be made.”
Heather Lupis, General Manager of Aramark– the food provider of Simmons Dining– did not reply to multiple requests for comment.
