Students React to New Adams Dining Rules

Students expressed mixed feelings yesterday about the new meal plan options currently being considered by Harvard Dining Service administrators.

While some students said that a 14-meal-per-week plan or a "declining balance system" would better reflect how much food they actually eat, others expressed concern about possible economic consequences.

A number of students said that since they never go to breakfast and therefore already eat only 14 hours a week, they would welcome the change.

"I don't think I'm getting my money's worth now," said Aretha D. Davis '93.

Greg C. Rogers '94 said he would definitely be in favor of not having to pay for breakfast. "As a college student, I don't have enough money to go out as it is," he said.

But other students said they worry about the financial effects the plans might have.

"I'm suspicious that there would be no extra charge for the 21-meal plan. People eating 21 meals would be subsidizing those eating only 14," said Glenn P. Cunningham '94.

Jessica G. Buchsbaum '94 speculated that the dining services might lose money under a modified system.

A Dining Deficit.

"Dining Services would have some kind of deficit and have to make it up sometime," Buchsbaum said. In addition, she said. "It becomes more complicated because for people on financial aid it's already a weird, arbitrary price, anyway."

Some house masters and tutors have said they fear that the social atmosphere of the houses would suffer and that students would begin avoiding meals to save money.

Students said they were also concerned about the possible social consequences of changes in the meal plan.

"For those people you don't hang around with all the time you get to see them at lunch and dinner," said Rogers. "But I think you'd end up going a lot less."

Private Finances

They said they hope that finances could be dealt with privately and that students could still attend meals for social reasons even if they hadn't paid for them.

"So long as I could put it on a term bill, I wouldn't feel compelled not to eat. So long as it wasn't pay at the door," said Victoria Clishlam '95.