Letters to the Editor

The facts on Dining

To the Editor:

Last week's Campus Dining-related articles and editorials omitted important information. We want to clarify several key issues and eliminate confusion regarding the development of the new program.

The new dining program was developed in partnership with the Undergraduate Assembly, the Dining Advisory Board and student focus groups. Student leaders and administrators met multiple times to discuss goals, define options and weigh alternatives. Campus-wide, students played an active role in the process, offering input through Dining surveys, the college houses and the UA report, all of which we used to guide and inform the process.

"Dining Dollar$" are designed to give students greater access to retail dining and provide reduced-cost options to all-you-care-to-eat meals. Contrary to the reports, Dining Dollar$ will be accepted at four locations next year: Houston Market, both new cafes in Huntsman Hall, the new retail floor of Class of 1920 Commons and all dining halls (providing a discount from the all-you-care-to-eat door price).

The nine meals per week plan was developed to address first-year students' requests for fewer all-you-care-to-eat meals and more retail flexibility. This new plan includes $400 Dining Dollar$ and costs $3,145 -- $117 less than the 2001-02 minimum plan for freshmen, which included no Dining Dollar$ and a higher number of meals per week.

While dining flexibility is important to many students, large numbers still opt for the all-you-care-to-eat model. More than 2,200 students voluntarily purchased an all-you-care-to-eat plan for spring semester 2002.

Student feedback strongly recommended the implementation of improved programmatic features and increased customer service, prompting the creation of the new Sunday brunch, visiting chefs programs, extended hours and other services.

Changing the University's dining program is an evolutionary process. While we have several built-in infrastructure and financial constraints, with each iteration we expect to make the system even more flexible, more attractive and more customer service-oriented. We look forward to working together in this process and would appreciate your input.

Lee Nunery

Vice President, Business Services

Peg Lacey

Managing Director,

Campus Dining Services

Dana Hork

College '02

Chairwoman,

Undergraduate Assembly

Kirsten Grubbs

College '04

Chairwoman,

Dining Advisory Board

Redefine sex roles

To the Editor:

This past Tuesday, Aliya Sternstein presented an issue relevant to many pre-professional Penn students: how can we succeed in our careers while also caring for our future families ("Making Choices:Women, Children, and Careers," The Daily Pennsylvanian, 4/2/02)? Unfortunately, Aliya's conclusion that women must choose one or the other is discouraging.

One major misconception about feminism is that people believe it is a quest for the inverse of current gender roles. But true feminism instead involves breaking down the gender roles of both sexes and starting fresh.

If we could actualize the goals of feminism, both sexes could share responsibilities for bringing home an income and for caring for the family and divide these responsibilities as they see fit. For instance, in the heterosexual marriages that Aliya referenced, each sex could work part-time and be home part-time. In this way, neither sex would be overloaded with either complete responsibility.

This would provide both sexes with opportunities they have previously been denied, such as the social acceptance for men to stay home some times and enjoy taking care of their children and would also answer Aliya's question about how women can succeed with both family and work.

Additionally, Aliya's wording of her proposed dichotomy "either reproductive or productive." Aliya is missing the point that reproduction is productive in itself. Parents who stay home are hugely productive. It's just that their work is not recognized by financial compensation. The United Nations estimates the value of the unpaid work that women do in their homes and communities to be about $11 trillion a year -- a third of the world's gross domestic product.

Alison Silber

College '05

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