Once upon a time, when I was a naive and starving first-year, I wandered in to the market on my way to Fondren hoping to pick up some fresh fruit before losing myself in essays and review sheets. Umph, despite its best efforts, consistently let me down that week. All the semi-frozen blueberries from breakfast were long gone and the selection of far-from-ripe bananas lacked appeal (lol catch that?). Despite my desperation, however, I couldn’t bring myself to buy the $6 pint of raspberries from the Hughes-Trigg Market.
Why, sweet, sweet SMU, are your market prices so incredibly inflated? Do you not think students pay enough? I have spent the better part of four years on your campus and I still can not understand your reasoning. You are basically preying on poor car-less underclassmen you forced to live on campus (and buy the most expensive meal plan) for even more money.
Moreover, our community seems resigned to live with this nonsense. We agree solemnly that nothing in there is worth the additonal charge but with no flex-friendly alternatives, we shuffle through the doors time and time again. (I know there are other simillar convenience stores on campus. To my knowledge, they are loyal to this insane price scale).
Here is my theory on why this obvious scam exists: Like Dunder-Mifflin Paper, SMU is the middle man between suppliers and consumers. As long as students don’t catch on and demand a change, they profit from our ignorance. Awesome, right?
No. Not awesome. It is time SMU either gives up the scheme or gives an explanation as to #why the Market overcharges for its products.
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