I just wanted a milkshake.

I stayed on campus during fall break for the very first time this semester. Living in the quad as an upperclassman, I am required to go on a jaw-dropping 150 meal swipes per semester plan, and I needed to spend them. I decided fall break would be the perfect time, since I wanted to take a break from cooking. I mostly ate at Hewitt on Saturday and Sunday, which was no issue for me as a Barnard student.

My first surprise of the break came on Monday, when my brother and his friend visited me at Columbia’s campus. As high school students, I planned to swipe them into John Jay so that they could get the true college dining experience. Shockingly, when I got there and asked to swipe them in, the attendant told me I could not bring in guests over break.

Since they had already taken my meal swipe, I told my brother and his friend I would meet them outside after I got some food. Luckily, another student saw my struggle and offered to swipe them in. What an angel.

The real trouble came later that Monday night, when I decided to have a nice cheat meal at JJs. I waited in a long line of freshmen getting express meals. Finally, I got up to the desk and swiped my card, eager to dine on the finest quesadillas and fries they had to offer, only to be denied entry.

“You can’t come in here.”

“Ok, but did you just take my swipe?”

“No, the machine blocked it.”

I walked away hungry and sad, and decided to get Junzi instead. At the very least, I thought, I hadn’t wasted a swipe.

But guess what? The next day, I checked my dining plan balance. Sure enough, there was a JJs swipe on my account from the day before. I was shocked and appalled. How could they have done this to me? How could they have lied about it?

In the week since this incident, I have been racking my brain for answers, trying to come to terms with this immeasurable loss. But I haven’t found peace. Columbia Dining, I am ready to accept anything you an offer me as payment. If you have some spare merch or extra swipes, that would definitely help me on my healing journey.

Image via Bwog Archives