Keep all dining facilities open

The IDS reported Oct. 19 that a Residential Programs and Services committee is considering closing underperforming dining halls to improve service at other locations. RPS mentioned Teter, McNutt and Forest quads as low-performing cafeterias that might be closed a last resort to help balance its budget. \nThe committee needs to find another solution to its economic woes. \nRPS should not limit students' choices because it cannot manage the food system. Doing so would inconvenience students and further downgrade the service IU provides to students living in the dorms. \nIn the story, "Dining hall closures possible," Sandra Fowler, director of dining services for RPS, justifies closing the three targeted dining halls by claiming only 10-12 percent of students actually use them. This statistic is misleading because freshmen are more affected by the closings than any other student group. If they live in the dormitories, they have to purchase a full meal plan, so they obviously use it more than upperclassmen who slowly drift out of the dorm system. \nIf this plan goes into effect, some freshmen and other dorm residents will have no place to eat in their dormitories. This will further demonstrate the University's callous regard to the living arrangements of its students that will hurt IU's recruitment effort as much as its recent low rankings in U.S. News and World Report.\nClosing down food services in McNutt, Teter and Forest Quads will also force students to eat at the less healthy fast food chains such as Taco John's and Sbarro. Although fast food is popular and a guaranteed money maker, RPS should consider student health in all decisions it makes.\nThis plan also inconveniences students. For example, residents of Forest will have to walk to Read Center just to eat. It might seem to be an insignificant, trifling distance, but the inconvenience will be multiplied in winter months, with snow, ice and bitter cold. Students should not have to trek through snow and ice to get breakfast or dinner. And faced with exerting extra effort just to eat at a dining hall, students might be deterred from eating there altogether, and simply order in as their budgets allow.\nJeff Kutche, McNutt dining manager, said numbers across the board were improving for the dining halls. And freshmen Nicole Porras said the lines at Teter never die down. If this is true, the problem is not underperforming halls. It is the budget. Students should not have choices taken away due to RPS' inability to budget funds.\nRPS is not only a business; it is also a service provided to students at a public university. Incoming students, who are required to purchase a meal plan if they live in the dorms, should have the option of eating in their own residence halls instead of having to hike across campus for a meal. RPS should place the students' welfare first, and should keep the dining options open in every residence hall.