ULM has got to do a better job at feeding its students over the summer, specifically, during the week before school starts.

Allowing only certain groups of people on campus to dine while others starve is a crime.

Several people don’t realize the problem at hand here, but let me explain it to them as I lived it. For me, it was quite a joy to come back to campus on August 13.

I made it back a whole week early (not by choice I might add). Normally I like being on campus but this time it was different. I, like many other students who arrived early, had a job to do or some training to accomplish.

Everything was going fine until I encountered a problem on campus. When hunger set in, I made my way to the cafeteria for some well-deserved nutrition supplied by our lovely workers at Schulze through Aramark. I walked in ready to swipe away my problems and eat some food. Unfortunately, for a select few of us, that was not the case.

I was turned away. Everybody inside seemed to be done eating and there was plenty of food left but, I was turned away.

Their reason for turning me away; I was neither an RA or football player.

Now I don’t know if it’s just football players and RAs getting to eat or other athletes as well, but I wasn’t happy.

I was hungry. I didn’t choose to come back to school early just like the athletes or RAs did not have a choice either.

I have a job and a duty to perform here. I pay for a meal plan and for my tuition. Why shouldn’t I nibble on some French fries and eat some pizza?

I was not the only student turned away. Many students who didn’t fit the criteria were also denied a meal. Luckily for me ,I have a car. I live off-campus and have an apartment with a kitchen.

At the end of the day, I might have less money in my pocket than I should, but I’d have a full stomach.

How many students that were denied food could say what I just did. I know plenty without a way to get off campus or access to a kitchen. I wonder what they ate.

Microwavable pizza and instant noodles aren’t cutting it for a lot of students and they should have better options to accessible, cheap and good food on campus before school starts.

Schulze has a schedule during school of when it serves certain food. You have a time for breakfast. You have a time for lunch and at night a time for dinner. In-between meals food options are limited, but we still have food.

If football players are a priority, set them up a time and feed them accordingly.

Afterwards, give other students a small window of time to eat too. With a record of 4-8 last season I’d let them receive any help they can get to better their performance.

Take my pizza; you need it more than I do.

All jokes aside, there is an issue here, and it needs to be addressed. I love the football team and the  RAs do a hell of a job, but  they’re not the only ones who have to eat.

There’s a whole campus full of students that are hungry. All I wanted was some pizza.