Committee weighs new dining options

Food may be the central focus of underclassmen's residential life. Not surprisingly, there is a dining committee that continually evaluates the quality of the Department of Dining Services.

And after a discussion last week, the committee is considering such changes as extending late meal hours and adding a more flexible meal plan.

The committee — chaired by University Associate Dean of Undergraduate Students Sandra Silverman and comprised of approximately 12 undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, deans and residential college masters — agreed to recommend starting the late lunch period at Frist Campus Center 15 minutes earlier and extending its duration by the same amount of time, according to USG Treasurer Michael Kimberly '03.

"Because of class schedules, the 15 minutes makes sense," Dining Services Director Stu Orefice said. He added that the original intention of late meals, when the system was created, was to provide "a snack credit for students who had academic conflicts."

That late meal hours extension will cost the University approximately approximately $15,000, Orefice said. The recommendation will be evaluated by the University Priorities Committee, which makes decisions on how the University allocates its budget.

"If this is approved, then we can look at future proposals and the future design of the late show program," Orefice said.

Undergraduate Life Committee chair Barham Ray '03, said, "I think it's a key positive step."

The ULC will be meeting Thursday to discuss the same dining issues, Ray said, adding that he does not foresee the committee disagreeing with the decision of the dining committee.

Also discussed at the dining committee meeting was the possibility of a meal plan that would allow students to purchase 185 meals for an entire semester.

According to Orefice, students generally eat between 180 and 200 of the approximately 250 meals they pay for each semester with a 20-meal-per-week plan. This program would reduce the number apportioned to students significantly — if the student chooses to subscribe to it.

Kimberly said the committee considered holding a pilot program next year to gauge the usefulness of the system.

Because of the possible effects those changes could have on how often underclassmen eat at their residential colleges, Orefice said, "We will speak with the Council of Masters and try and get a consensus there."

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Rockefeller College Master Maria DiBattista, who was at the meeting, said in regards to the 185-meal plan, "Nobody really can predict one way or another what is going to happen."

DiBattista said she wanted to look into the issue more before making any guesses as to the proposals' possible effects.

Both Columbia University and Villanova University use a 185-meal-per-semester plan, and Columbia also has other, meals-per-semester plans, that include fewer meals.