the davidsonian
SEPTEMBER 17, 2014 VOL. 106 ISSUE 1
The Independent Student Newspaper of Davidson College since 1914
Changes to meal plan cause uproar President debates the merits of mandating a 90-block plan MATT LANDINI & JOSEPHINE CANNELL News Editor & Staff Writer
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he start of the 2014 academic year ushered in substantial changes for the Davidson community – starting with significant alterations to the student meal plan. As freshmen arrived on campus, the administration announced that students in the class of 2018 (and onwards) would be required to purchase a college meal plan. Davidson College’s Dining Services promotes the meal plan as, “convenient, worry-free dining at a variety of facilities located on campus. With a plan, meals are prepaid, so students don’t have to worry about The policy was having cash on hand. Students to be implesimply use their mented regardCatCard at any of the campus less of dissent dining facilities – discussion of to purchase a meal.” eliminating the Currently, mandatory meal Dining Services plan was off the offers four distinct meal plan table. options – the cheapest of which costs students roughly $2,400 annually. In comparison, the most expensive meal plan costs approximately $6,300 a year. Students are now required to purchase the cheaper “90-block” plan – with the option to upgrade to larger plans. In addressing the students, Quillen expressly cited the decision as part of a larger effort to promote healthy food options, better nutrition, accommodate students with varying schedules (namely athletes), and aid students with dietary restrictions and requirements. Quillen suggests that mandating the meal plan will aid in financing such efforts. The mandate greatly increases the cost of a Davidson education. This growth in cost follows
NEWS College partnership with Red Ventures creates jobs for future Davidson grads. 2 Bystander training seeks to educate campus about sexual assault prevention. 2
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LIVING DAVIDSON Documentary features last year’s Education Scholars. 4
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MEAL PLAN | Page 3
Inside
Grammy-nominated Afroman highlights weekend options. 5 PERSPECTIVES Davidson - stop asking me for money! 7 Writers (and illustrators) voice concern about the new meal plan policy. 6,8 THE YOWL Quillen gives in to the Yak. 9 Staff reactcs to new mandatory meal plan. 9 SPORTS Athletes adjust to transition to the Atlantic 10. 10 Students swarm into Commons for dinner. Photo by Michelle Wan.
Staff writer provides commentary about Adrian Peterson’s child abuse charge. 11
Lula Bell closure threatens ninety-year tradition President announces closure of Lula Bell Laundry at the end of the 2015 semester JORDAN SISKIND-WEISS Staff Writer
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or prospective Davidson College students, the seemingly innocuous, one-story brick building which houses the Lula Bell Laundry service has long since punctuated college tours. As colleges and universities across the country strive to differentiate themselves from one another, this ninety-year-old institution has consistently proven to be one of a kind. Last May, the administration’s decision to close the laundry service caused an uproar across Davidson’s campus. Many students were shocked and angered to receive the abrupt email notifying them of the plan to terminate the program in May of 2015, while others accepted the decision as a logical progression in modernizing the school. In her original email, President Quillen explained that, “as Davidson College reimagines the liberal arts experience for our students, we are aligning our resources to meet our educational priorities.” Nonetheless, many students were left wondering what fueled such an important decision. What does the college plan to do with the building that will soon be vacant? And, more
importantly, what will happen to the Lula Bell staff that the students know so well? While, in the last few years, the President’s Executive Board has periodically debated the merits of closing the laundry service, the decision to terminate the program was not solidified until spring of 2014. The group took four months to fully work through the logistics of their decision before they notified the Lula Bell staff – and the student body. Richard Terry, Director of Auxiliary Services, elaborated on the President’s decision.“With all the other needs, new initiatives, internships, smart classrooms, all of the things that we have to continue to advance in, it has become increasingly difficult to justify providing this service that is really an outlier,” Terry said. “It made more sense, ultimately, to re-direct that money toward other needs on campus. That is it, short and sweet.” The school’s justification for closing Lula Bell not only highlights the strategic re-modeling of the college’s budget, but it also stresses how frequently students used the service. Terry expanded on student involvement, saying, “over the years, there has been a fairly consistent amount of about 1,000 to 1,100 students who have been regular users…Here we were using
Glenda Cheney loads washers in Lula Bell. Photo courtesy of Diedra Laird funds for a service that was only being used by 55 to 60% of the student body.” According to Edith Bultman — a friend and welcoming face to many students — who runs the cashier at Lula Bell, knowledge of the Executive Board’s decision did not come as a surprise.
“My reaction, to be quite frank, I wasn’t shocked or anything, but my first thought was ‘would we be able to find other jobs on campus?’ ” Bultman said.
LAUNDRY | Page 2