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Letter to the editor

Published: Sunday, September 5, 2010

Updated: Monday, September 13, 2010 21:09

Dear editor,

Upon my acceptance to UVM, I had pretty much immediately decided that I would be going for the unlimited access dining plan here on campus, figuring that it would be the best choice over a points system that frankly charges inflated prices for just about every item available for purchase.

Naturally, the renovation of Simpson Dining Hall, located on Redstone Campus and one of just three campus options for the unlimited plan, was kept hush at orientation, mentioned only in a passing comment by the dreadfully dull PowerPoint presenters.

So, like a blissfully unaware cow being led to slaughter, I signed my dining contract for the unlimited access plan.

When I found that I would be rooming in Harris/Millis this fall, I was elated at the prospect of having one of the unlimited dining halls just downstairs. Little did I know that the Simpson Dining Hall renovation project, which, according to the UVM website, began in spring 2010, would be lasting through the end of this semester.

This requires anyone looking for food on the entire Redstone Campus to come to Harris/Millis.  I am not complaining about the remaining dining halls, as I have enjoyed the food itself so far and will be sticking with said unlimited plan, but it is a little frustrating to wait in ridiculously long lines simply because of an unnecessary inundation of hungry Redstone residents.

With respect to the notion that such ambitious construction projects take careful planning and execution, it is simply disappointing that such a project means inconveniencing a fair portion of unlimited access diners during any logical dining hour.

A quick look at the official color-coded UVM campus map will tell you that most students who live on campus are living closer to the Harris/Millis dining hall than to the only other unlimited access option right now, Cook Commons.

The dining hall construction on Redstone is causing an inconvenience for the students on campus which could have easily been avoided by any combination of better planning, better funding or better temporary dining options.

All this hassle, and the price of room and board — which includes the price of the meal plan — is up from last year? As much as I like the idea of paying more money for half a year of a dining hall which I will rarely ever use, I think this is a situation UVM should have handled more adeptly.

 

Sincerely,

Jeff Barbieri

UVM Class of 2014

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1 comments Log in to Comment

JGMi
Tue Sep 7 2010 15:00
Jeff,

You have the option to change your dining plan if having more people at your dining hall is proving to be too severe an inconvenience to bare.

You mention in your above letter: "it is a little frustrating to wait in ridiculously long lines simply because of an unnecessary inundation of hungry Redstone residents," however, if you're attempting to eat at any of the dining halls during peak meal times your wait time is going to be greatly increased (and it has always been that way), thus I recommend finding a solution, such as going at off times, if you are unable to source the patience to wait for your food.

You claim that it is "an unnecessary inundation" that causes the situation you face, which could have been prevented through "better planning, better funding or better temporary dining options", however I am afraid you are unaware of the degree to which it takes any organization - especially an education-oriented one - to rehabilitate and update what was a dinosaur of a building (which served only a tertiary function in the eyes of the school). Not to mention your proposed solution of "temporary dining options", which would - on top of the project to renovate Simpson - involve creating "temporary" structures which would be up to date with safety codes, their own electrical, gas, and plumbing lines, heating systems for the winter, and ventilation systems (as well as structural costs).

Though you never had the good fortune to eat at Simpson, the dining hall had to be brought up to date, and unfortunately UVM was not thinking about how that may inconvenience you, however I am not exactly sure this is your time to play victim. Could you consider for a moment how Redstone residents must feel, having to walk all the way over from Redstone (presumably) three times a day, only to arrive to wait in long lines (especially when it begins to get cold)? Theirs is a case that I would be willing to argue for, however, even if it is an inconvenience, the renovation of Simpson had to be done, and there was no convenient time to do it.

I hope I am not too blunt in my reply, however if I am it is because it is only for one semester. Trinity campus waited years for a respectable dining option to be anything less than two campuses away, and even they still had to wait in line.

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