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Mary Lorenz, a 5th-semester political science and sociology double major and a Multicultural and Diversity Senator in USG speaks out about off-campus housing issues at Straight from the Source, a monthly meeting presented by USG, last night at the Student Union.

Administrators defend trayless dining at Straight fom the Source event

By: Grace Harper

Posted: 9/3/08

UConn students vocalized their concerns with trayless dining and underage drinking at the Straight from the Source meeting last night, a monthly meeting that seeks to give students an opportunity to openly speak with administrators.

The "Going tray-less" issue was the most prevalent topic. Students showed concern that the new policy is not only inconvenient for students, but also dangerous. Students spoke of dropped dishes and a need to balance personal items with multiple dishes.

Denise Beal, assistant director of Dining Services, remained steadfast in the UConn's views on the matter. She spoke of the obscene amount of water and energy usage in addition to a great deal of food waste. Rebecca Canfield, also from Dining Services, spoke about the need for students to put "more thought into what you put onto your plate."

The administrative representatives were firm in their belief that this change will better UConn. According to John Saddlemire, vice president for Student Affairs, UConn students are slightly behind-the-curve in their views on this topic. In some schools, he said, it's the students pushing a tray-less policy on their administration, rather than the other way around. He agreed with Beal and Canfield, adding that the amount of food that gets thrown out thoughtlessly "seems criminal."

As other topics pertaining to Dining Services were brought up, particularly the recent lack of paper cups for coffee, Beal reiterated that we should "do what we can to eliminate waste." Among concerns of changes in Dining Services, students were also interested in recent initiatives to lower the legal drinking age.

Due to the July launch of the Amethyst Initiative, which is working to lower the legal drinking age, students questioned UConn's stance on the issue as well as steps the university is personally taking to battle underage drinking.

Elkins responded with statistics and other evidence to showcase the maturity of a 21-year-old versus an 18-year-old.

An 18-year-old's brain is "still growing… all kinds of things are changing," said Julie Elkins, assistant to Saddlemire. A 21-year-old student's brain, on the other hand, is much more developed. Because of this, there are many safety issues universities are concerned with when faced with the ideas behind the Amethyst Initiative, particularly in respect to the issue of drunk driving and its prevalence with 18-year-olds.

Saddlemire also commented on the importance of the conversation, but also said that UConn has not yet taken an official stance on the matter.

"We do not feel comfortable signing on to the Amethyst Initiative," Saddlemire said. In respect to what UConn itself is doing to prevent underage drinking, he made it clear the university takes the issue very seriously.

"We're [giving] as good an effort as any institution in the country," Saddlemire said. "[Underage drinking] still remains the number-one issue on campus… we're very open to suggestions."

In addition to these main concerns, Mary Lorenz, a 5th-semester political science and sociology double major and Multicultural and Diversity Senator in USG, spoke up about issues pertaining to off-campus housing. Lorenz brought up such issues as the lack of bus transportation available to commuters, which then branched off into other off campus housing issues.

Among these is UConn students' lack of knowledge when it comes to leases, making them vulnerable to landlords. Saddlemire assured the group that students have rights and that the university is looking into a legal counselor for students to assist with such matters.

Other topics that were brought up pertained to housing lottery, which will only get more competitive, as well as the sexual health budget being cut. All concerns student's raised were treated with equal respect.

Before the meeting, Dean of Students Lee Williams spoke about the importance of every issue.

"Students have issues and they're big for them," Williams said. She also spoke of how it's likely the issue could affect more than just the one person asking the question. Therefore by helping one student, you could possibly affect 50 others.

Straight from the Source, presented by USG, will meet monthly. The next session will take place Oct. 7 in room 331 of the Student Union.