Dining hall closings will RPS

I could not agree more with the Nov. 21 staff editorial, "Dining hall closings irresponsible step."\nHaving to make a trek to some other residence hall for a meal would inspire me to search for alternatives to residence hall dining. Housing as many people as are in Briscoe, Teter or others and then expecting them to hike for a meal is just plain bad judgement. It sounds more like a prescription for destroying or phasing out the dining halls. \nFurthermore, at a time when most nutritionists bemoan the lack of good, solid nutrition among grade and high school students, offering more fast food options than solid nutrition is shortsighted, unless the object is to keep up a steady supply of patients with high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease to local hospitals as these students age. It also seems an abrogation of the University's obligation to provide a healthy environment. It is as if the University were being complicit in fostering poor eating habits and the poor health to which it leads. \nFinally, if I were a parent of a current student, I would be livid at paying two grand so that my son or daughter could munch on pizza, burgers and fries. The whole thing is just silly. RPS will save money in the short run, but in the long run, the current plan will encourage the demise of the dining halls.\nJames R. Brantley\nWheaton, Md.