By PATRICK MULLEN

STAFF WRITER

It has been popular in recent months to criticize Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed ban of large, sugary drinks. Many have called it a pointless abuse of his power. Some have even joked that it is the move of a “dictator.” Alas, 2013 has come, and the ban is now official here in New York City. This affects Fordham students as well, as Dagger John’s (DJ’s) now offers only 16 ounce cups with a meal swipe. The general consensus is the feeling of disappointment from students, but the true story is whether or not this will affect the amount of people who go to Dagger John’s.

Virtually everyone seems annoyed with Bloomberg’s law, and many find it completely pointless, including Sean McGinn, FCRH ‘15. According to McGinn, however, it will likely not affect how often he goes to DJ’s, though he does not go there a great deal to begin with. He admitted that despite the slight inconvenience (which can be solved by refilling his cup) Dagger John’s To-Go is still the best dining option at Fordham.

Frank Valentino, GSB ’15, thinks that if the law requires that the drink is smaller, then we should not pay as much. This would no doubt be a complicated system to make a Dagger John’s swipe less valuable than a cafeteria swipe, but he has a point; we pay for a meal, chips and a drink. Valentino also said the smaller drink is a “necessary evil,” as he considers that Dagger John’s offers the highest quality food on campus.

Queens, NY resident Marielle Rivera, GSB ’15, offers a counterargument, stating that “now she can finally finish [her] drink.” She did think that Bloomberg’s law was “overstepping his bounds” as mayor, but she did not mind it in this specific instance.

That brings up the question: Does this really matter to Fordham students? Regardless of the politics of the situation—which have been largely criticized—does it truly affect students enough to make them care? One can easily argue that it is disheartening to learn that a swipe now gets one a smaller drink. It all seems a bit silly. Most Fordham students, however, do not think of meal swipes as money, since they are already paid for. Also, Dagger John’s is not the primary meal location for most people,. Therefore, this “inflation” will minimally effect Fordham students. In fact, of all the people I talked to, none of them suspected that this would affect their eating plans.

Indeed, many — including the three students mentioned in this piece — still argued that Dagger John’s is the best eating establishment on campus, considering it can be a good alternative to the repetition of the cafeteria. Thus, the conclusion I have drawn is that there will be little to no visible effect on the Fordham student body. People will, of course, be irritated and they will complain as they do about most other things, but I doubt the student body will avoid Dagger John’s altogether. One small inconvenience like this is not enough to overshadow all of the positive services that it provides; it is illogical. Those who go to Dagger John’s to avoid the cafeteria will still go to Dagger John’s. Likewise, it still will remain an alternative for those students like Sean McGinn who like to change things up on occasion.

While we can still complain about the law and how it affects people in the city at-large, it seems we should shut our mouths and appreciate the good.

Patrick Mullen, FCRH ’15, is an English major from Delafield, Wisc.