Dining hall closings irresponsible step

Imagine that it's 28 degrees outside. You live in Forest Quad, but your nearest dining option is Read Center, a short but painful walk in cold, snowy weather.\nThis is the situation facing Forest residents next fall, after the Residential Programs and Services staff closes dining services there and at Briscoe and Teter Quads. \nWhile it is understandable RPS is struggling with the University's demands to cut costs, this latest decision is inexcusable. Closing these dining halls is the latest in a long line of bad policies RPS has implemented in the last few years.\n RPS has moved its dining program to a neighborhood-oriented plan. Students now living in Foster Quad, McNutt Quad or Briscoe Quad really have only one dining option -- the Gresham Food Court at Foster. This food court serves fast food and is conveniently open throughout the day, which makes it easy for students to get food when they need it.\n Although Briscoe appears to be close to Foster on a map, walking this distance three times a day, every day, should not be required of students. Each residence hall should have a dining option for students, and each neighborhood on campus should have at least one traditional dining hall.\n Under the current system, the only fully functioning traditional dining halls on campus are Collins Center and Read. Wright Quad and Foster have food courts serving fast food. Teter's deli selection and Forest's grill line offer even fewer options. Eigenmann Hall offers international fare, which has been, at best, unpopular with many students.\nRather than getting balanced, nutritious meals at traditional dining halls, many students are eating the majority of their meals at Wright or Foster because the hours are more convenient and these food courts are closer to their homes. \nNext fall, students living in residence halls will be charged a minimum of $2,080 for food. It is ridiculous that they should pay this amount without being able to eat at a dining hall in their own building. Limiting options encourage unhealthy eating habits and provides a disservice to the students who are paying the University to provide dining options for them. \nInstead of cutting funding for RPS, the University should invest in improving services so students will want to eat in the dining halls instead of going elsewhere. Students deserve a variety of healthy options rather than limited, mainly fast food-oriented dining halls.