What Should Be Done about Blazer Bucks?

Blazer Bucks are a unique part of Hood College’s meal plans, but students rarely have anything positive to say about them.

“Blazer food has gone up in price and down in quantity,” one Hood student said. “It needs to be more beneficial to those who don’t like Dining Hall food.”

To get an idea of how students would want the Blazer Bucks system improved, an anonymous survey was given in the Whitaker Campus Center and the Dining Hall between Oct. 21 and 28. 133 students chose to take the survey.

To the question of “What should be done about Blazer Bucks?” four possible responses could be chosen: “Integrate Blazer Bucks into meal plans for dining hall swipes,” which 27 students selected; “Increase the total Blazer Bucks per plan,” which 35 students chose; and “Have unused dining hall meals increase your total Blazer Bucks left by a fixed amount,” which 71 students chose.

Unsurprisingly, the last option of “Nothing, it’s fine as it is,” received zero tallies.

Some students had other suggestions on how to improve the system, often referencing the meal plans at colleges like Towson and Frostburg.

Theresa Sharp, a student at Hood, said, “Aramark should utilize the community food places with Blazer Bucks.”

Suggestions from other students included better options for vegetarians, having unused meals count toward guest passes at the Dining Hall, being allowed to build a custom meal plan, and bringing back all-day breakfast sandwiches.

Although it is unlikely that any of these ideas will be implemented, it is clear that Hood students generally do not like the current system of Blazer Bucks. Whether or not the current system will change may depend on how vocal the community at Hood is about the issue.