Every week the editorial board reflects on a current issue in Our View. The position taken does not reflect the opinions of everyone on the Hilltop Views staff.

People go to Hillfest for the free food and stay for their friends and free stuff. This year, the upperclassmen are outraged and the freshmen are stoked. Why?

Well, when you are required to buy enough meal plan to feed a family of three (freshmen), you do not tend to notice what food truck food costs. However, as a commuter or upperclassman, your meal plan does not seem to feed a family of one-third, let alone you.

Most students are speculating that the fireworks are what did the food in, and they are not impressed. Fireworks are great situationally, but not in this one.

Instead of having a shirt —  which will almost certainly be given to Operation-T — at the end of the year, some students would rather eat a third meal of the day that does not consist of Sweet Tarts and a juice box (nothing against either of those two delicious items).

Those who are desensitized to the flyers, sandwich boards and their University Programming Board friends who demand one goes to every event, might be confused.

According to the St. Edward’s University website, everyone should “Come out to enjoy live music, carnival attractions and great prizes!”

All of those things are appealing. The question turns up with the statement that “Admission, food and unique takeaways are free to students with a valid St. Edward’s ID.”

This statement must have been recycled from last year’s Hillfest, or from any of the previous years, where food was graciously offered freely to all St. Edward’s students willing to endure the long lines.

While free food is not a guarantee at all University Programming Board events, it is typically what students look forward to the most. “Free [insert name of delicious food here]” is probably the most appealing phrase to a student passing hundreds of event flyers a day.

While all students appreciate and enjoy the free rides, music, prizes and apparel that Hillfest provides, removing the free meal was not the best move.

 Judging by the campus’ disappointed reaction to the news that Hillfest food costs money, attendance at the event may have suffered.

Upperclassmen who have enjoyed free Chick-fil-A, Torchy’s and P-Terry’s at past year’s Hillfests hold high expectations for the event, assuming that each year it will be equal to or better than past years’ fests. It’s not that food trucks won’t prove popular; it’s the cost of them that worries upperclassmen.

For instance, one year, the UPB rented segways. The following year, upperclassmen experienced disappointment, finding that the present year’s Hillfest to be segway-less.

Regardless of the absence of free food, the students all seemed to enjoy the velcro wall, Miley Cyrus simulator and zipline at Hillfest. This is merely a suggestion to bring back the free food next year.