A couple nights ago I was eating dinner at Rand and went to refill my milk glass as I had done many times last semester without a problem. It so happened that they were in the process of refilling the milk station so a few people were waiting around and a Rand cashier reminded us that we could get milk in a carton. I replied, "no thanks, I am only getting a refill" and the cashier then told me I was not allowed to get a refill on milk. Perplexed, I returned to my seat to finish my cake without any milk (blech!).

My freshman year Rand did not have a milk machine, the coke machines were where the pasta bar is now, and there were signs on each coke machine advertising free refills. Sometime before they renovated Rand (probably my sophomore year) they added a milk machine but it wasn't clear if the "free refills" sign applied to the milk as well. On two different occasions I asked if I was allowed to get refills on milk and I was told both times that I could. Ever since then I have been getting refills on milk and nobody ever stopped me. It wasn't like I was sneaking it out either, I would right by the cashiers because I assumed it was ok.

As you can see, I was very perplexed when I was told I was no longer allowed to get refills on milk. After this incident I did notice that ever since Rand was renovated and the coke machines were moved to their current location, there are no longer "free refill" signs posted on them.

So are refills on fountain drinks still allowed? If so, are students supposed to inherently know that refills on sugary carbonated beverages are ok but refills on healthy calcium rich beverages will cost extra? If no refills are allowed anymore, wouldn't it be reasonable to post a sign notifying students of such a change in policy?

This isn't the first instance of inconsistency at Rand. On two occasions I was getting food at Chef James and they were serving a pasta as one of their entrees. I asked the server "Can I get this pasta as a side instead of as an entree?" The server said yes and gave me a small portion but when I got to the checkout the cashier notified me that I had two entrees on my plate and would have to pay extra. Go figure.

Don't get me wrong, I think Rand has vastly improved since my freshman year. There is more menu variety, the food is better prepared, etc., but it wouldn't hurt to be a little more explicit on policies so that inconsistencies don't occur.

Personally, I would like to see Rand move to a point system for meal plan participants. That way you would know exactly what you can get. At CX2 you can get 1 sandwich, a side and a drink. At Chef James you can get one entree, two sides and a drink. Does that mean a CX2 sandwich is worth the same as a Chef James entree plus a Chef James side? Can I get a Chef James entree and Chef James side plus a side from CX2? In practice I think you can but there is no explicit rule either way. I think a point system where each meal plan is worth X points and each item is labeled with a point value would allow students to mix and match to get exactly what they want.