Sophomore Ben Schiffer stands in line, waiting to spend some flex on one of the last days of finals at Bethel University. He has spent a majority of his flex already this semester, leaving him with only $20. “I have like $30 left, but actually only $20,” Schiffer said. | Photo by Hannah Quinn

Tales from finals: No flex zone

Finals week is a time of studying, binge coffee drinking and a mad rush to spend remaining flex.

By Callie Schmidt, Alyssa Mitchell, Alex Eigen and Hannah Quinn | Royal Report

Sophomore accounting and finance major Ben Shiffer contemplates the most flex money he ever spent at one time. Sitting in the 3900 Grill, his friend stole his student ID and offered to buy something for every girl who walked by . He ended up spending $200. “I had about 30 blue Gatorades left over,” Shiffer said.

Some students bought food for other people using their friends flex, some students were encouraged to tip Davanni’s drivers, while other students were mooching off others because they ran out. Bethel University students have to get creative with their leftover flex during finals week.

Assistant Campus Pastor Jason Steffenhagen knew senior biokinetics major Jake Sandquist had $180 worth of flex left.

“So instead of just letting that money go back to Sodexo or into the great unknown, I told him to tip a Davanni’s driver $165 for a $15 pizza,” Steffenhagen said.

“I have 84 cents and I can’t even buy anything because a banana costs 99 cents.” — Austin Buyse, freshman

Freshmen seem to be notorious for blowing through their flex as quickly as possible, leaving them hungry and scrounging for a late night snack or coffee. Upperclassmen friends are a must to many freshman who find their flex accounts running dry.

Freshman Austin Buyse laughs at the cost at a Royal Ground’s banana. He spent all but 84 cents this semester. “I blew through my flex this semester.” | Photo by Hannah Quinn

“I have zero flex, I ran out two weeks ago. I’ve been borrowing from upperclassmen friends,” freshman finance and economics major Sam Jenson said. “I got two shakes once and tried to down them both in 10 minutes. I got a brain freeze halfway through”

Freshman business finance major Austin Buyse might have gotten a little flex happy in the last few weeks of school.

“I blew through my flex this semester,” Buyse said. “I have 84 cents and I can’t even buy anything because a banana costs 99 cents.”

Senior linguistics major Sam Chavez buys a medium Americano with a shot of caramel, room for cream and a slice of banana bread at Royal Grounds every day. He ran out of flex last week.

“I don’t have a budget,” Chavez said. “I just go and hope for the best.”