'Eat-In' Protest Is Small, But Petition Attracts 900

The four House dining halls serving full breakfasts were slightly busier than usual yesterday morning on the first day of an "Eat-In" opposing the limited breakfast plan, and almost 900 students signed a petition protesting the plan.

Leverett, Quincy, Kirkland and Currier Houses each served about 60 more students than usual, but Frank J. Weissbecker, director of Food Services, said yesterday those dining halls had anticipated larger number. "The Eat-In was not that high an impact at all."

Student organizers of the protest, which continued today, said yesterday they were generally pleased with the turnout and had not intended to draw crowds large enough to disrupt breakfast service.

"We weren't trying to muck up the system as much as we were trying to get students out," Nancy C. Rose '80, a member of the group that organized the protest, said yesterday.

Members of the group, called Student Lobby, asked students eating breakfast yesterday to sign a petition stating they "'strongly object to the Fox breakfast plan and the manner in which it was instituted."

Rose said about 890 students signed the petition, and that Student Lobby members plan to meet with Dean Fox soon to discuss alternatives to the present plan and show him the petition.

However, Dean Fox said last night he does not think the plan has been in effect long enough for him to begin considering alternatives, and it will be "some time" before he does so.

Few students interviewed in Kirkland House at breakfast yesterday said they were there to protest the plan, although most said they had signed the petition.