In Thursday’s article about food prices at Xcetera, a convience store in Walker Center, Housing and Food Services Director Dave Annis said the store’s items are priced higher than at off-campus competitors to balance the department’s budget.

He said the store must compensate for the loss of revenue that has resulted from allowing students to use meal points at other locations, most recently at concession stands during home football games at the Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

This may mean fewer students use their points at Xcetera, which is the store’s main source of revenue because one meal point is worth one dollar.

Thus the prices are higher than at most off-campus stores.

We understand the logic of Xcetera’s dilemma, but it raises many other questions about Housing and Food Services meal options for students.

Consider the fact that every freshman living on campus is required to purchase an expensive meal plan. They are $1,771 per semester.

Each plan costs the same and only differs in how many meal exchanges and meal points are allotted to the students.

A 110-pound girl probably isn’t going to eat the same amount as a 220-pound former football player. And because they’re not eating the same, they shouldn’t be paying the same.

Freshmen shouldn’t be forced to buy a costly meal plan. They should have a choice.

As upperclassmen, we know a student can survive spending less money each semester.

Housing’s plan has students paying about $450 a month, and many students pay their entire housing and food bill at the beginning of the semester.

This means students likely pay quite a bit of money for a plan that is hard for many to use in its entirety.

Editors at The Daily typically spend between $200 to $300 a month on food at grocery stores and restaurants.

If freshmen were allowed to spend money at their own discretion, resourceful students could save about $800 per semester.

Another thing Housing and Food ought to change or completely do away with is the weekly meal exchange cycle.

Students could be better served if they were given a set number of meals per semester that match the maximum number of meals each plan ideally offers.

Resident advisers and upperclassmen have this option. Why can’t they do it for freshmen?

If a student with six meal exchanges a week wants to take his family out to Couch Restaurants during Parent’s Weekend, there’s a good chance he or she could use the majority of the exchanges for that week.

The student would then have to use 10 meal points if he or she wished to dine at the cafeteria again that week, which can be daunting to a student looking to conserve his or her points.

Meal points are confusing in other ways as well.

At the end of the semester, everyone with a meal plan will either be out of points or scrambling to spend them, because, according to its website, Housing and Food doesn’t allow points to roll over from semester to semester.

However, we’re skeptical about this because points have rolled over every year we’ve been here.

If they’re going to change their mind and decide points can roll over in November, students should be notified at the beginning of the semester and in contracts.

In Thursday’s article, Annis said things are the way they are, because “at the time, you are responding to what students are asking for. You’re trying to give them as many options as you can.”

Well, these are just a few things we’ve noticed that students want and could be changed.