Anxiety triggered from checking your bank account balance is a familiar experience for many college students. I get that same jolt of anxiety every time I use Big Red Bucks to grab food on campus. After each swipe of your Cornell ID card, your remaining BRB balance displays on the monitor, and the budgeting spiral follows immediately:
How am I down to two digits already? How much was this drink again? Can I return the stale bag of chips in my room?
“Thank you, have a nice day!” The cashier’s voice yanks me back from my thoughts and I am left scrambling to clear my purchases so that the next student in line can go through the same cycle.
It is evident that I am not alone in feeling this way, as many of my friends and classmates have expressed similar frustrations about their dwindling — but vital — funds. One day, as I ate my overpriced bagel, I wondered why it had to be this way.
I love going down rabbit holes on Reddit. It is somewhat comforting to find unfiltered rants, unhinged conspiracies and refreshing honesty in a shared online space. While on r/Cornell, I came across threads dated over 10 years ago. Students mentioned the frustration of having only $400 worth of BRBs while paying for the unlimited meal plan.
I was astonished. Despite being over a decade old, these threads echo a cry that I still hear loud and clear among my social circles today. I decided to investigate by looking into the archives of The Cornell Daily Sun to see what people have had to say about Cornell’s credit system over the years. Similarly, I read about the frustrations of needing to budget carefully and the fear of wasting BRBs. There was a general acknowledgement that BRBs are a scarce commodity that need to be fiercely guarded.
What frustrates me most is knowing that tuition, housing and meal plan prices have increased over time. Besides that, food and beverage prices have risen as well. College students are always tight on money, but now the situation is worse than ever. I strongly believe that the University should increase the amount of BRBs allotted per meal plan over the next few years in order to fix this outcry long expressed by Cornellians.
Student athletes, for example, require flexibility around demanding practices and travel schedules. Students living on South Campus often do not have convenient access to on-campus dining halls, making BRBs essential rather than optional. Many non-student-athletes also operate on tight, on-the-go schedules where grabbing something quick between classes is the only realistic option. Sometimes, a sit-down meal or even a dining hall visit is simply impossible, and the current BRB amount does not adequately account for that.
More than just increasing the amount of BRBs allotted to students, I also strongly advocate for expanding the number of dining options that accept BRBs. Granted, the vast majority of eateries around campus are covered by the system, but the few that are not covered happen to be some of the most popular spots on campus. Gimme! Coffee is a favorite among students, especially during early mornings and long afternoons when a quick caffeine boost feels less like a luxury and more like a necessity. Temple of Zeus is always packed, serving as a reliable stop between classes for a quick bite that fits into a tight schedule.
These are not obscure locations. They are central to daily student life, both geographically and socially. I really cannot complain too much about the number of offerings at Cornell because our variety of food options are far superior to many college campuses. The only unfortunate aspect is that some of the most popular spots require an out-of-pocket purchase. It would not be a huge change for these eateries to accept BRBs, but it is one that I believe would be much appreciated by the student body.
Maybe the anxiety I feel at the register is a completely valid experience. It is difficult to fully enjoy a meal when you have various account balances looming in the back of your mind. For something that is marketed as convenient and flexible, BRBs often feel like a ticking time bomb.
Students have voiced these same concerns for years; it is not a fleeting complaint. By increasing the amount of BRBs allocated to each student and expanding the eateries on campus that accept BRBs, we will see a much-needed update to a long-standing system.
No one should feel a jolt of anxiety over a bagel. Nor should we have to feel guilty for treating ourselves to one. This is an overdue request, given that the current BRB plan supports, at most, two Trillium visits a week.
Prices have risen. Schedules are tighter. Students are busier. Yet the allotment has remained stubbornly constant. A modest increase in BRBs and broader acceptance at the places we frequent most won’t solve every issue, but it will definitely signal responsiveness.
Sahil Raut is a junior in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He can be reached at ssr247@cornell.edu.
