I applaud many of the surprising additions made this summer on campus, such as the condoms in dorm vending machines and the expanded BU shuttle service, but I am upset at some of the less publicized changes made in other areas, namely the Late Nite Cafes on campus.

Over the summer, the Late Nite menu was tweaked. There are some new items (like eggs), some missing items (like wings), and of course some returning favorites. Unfortunately for students, the returning items have all had their prices hiked. This is understandable; prices are bound to rise, and if campus laundry dryers have gone up a quarter, then so should food. In some cases, the changes are minimal: a quarter here, a half-dollar there, but it’s the most popular items that have seen exorbitant hikes.

Take the BU platter, for instance. Prices went up over a dollar. Even worse, the candy has doubled in price. If that seems bad, take a look at the smoothies: up 20 cents but now served in cups exactly half the size of last years (12oz vs. 24oz). The most of insulting of all has to be the onion rings. Introduced by The Daily Free Press in the Feb. 25 “Late Nite set to update options, lower prices,” the rings cost $1.89 last semester. Now, a similar serving goes for over $5.

We pay a lot for our forced dining plans, and it is completely unjust that while the new retail locations do not take dining points, the old ones are free to raise prices to ridiculous levels. I hope the Student Union takes action, because I doubt the dining hall comment cards will even be read.

PS: Where is the Globe?

Carl Parker, CAS ’10