The other night I heard a full-time employee in one of the dining halls remark, "Hey tomorrow, we may have to be looking for a new job. My welfare is in the hands of 18 and 19 year-olds who have no real life experience."
It has been said that Dartmouth College is a microcosm of the real world but this is the first time I believed it was true in regard to real social issues. Student Assembly has been known to stay away from broader social issues such as race relations on campus, the current debate on affirmative action, etc., but they have really got themselves in a bind now. For me this issue about the $800 is really one about class differences at Dartmouth. It is about the class differences between those of us who are on financial aid, those whose parents have had to take out second mortgages and those who parents can afford to pay the full tuition.
But more importantly it is also about the class differences between many of the people who work on this campus and the students who are educated here. By virtue of getting a Dartmouth education, all of us upon graduation will be categorized at least as middle class. Part of our education is learning how to negotiate in that world. So whether we originally came from a working-class family or are the first to ever come to college, once here, the privilege that the Dartmouth name gives us changes our socioeconomic status. Many of us believe that 'hey, if we can make it, then those people out there can too.' Well, what do you think the men and women working in Dining Services are trying to do? Have you ever stopped to think that maybe they are trying to make it possible for their children to obtain a degree from an elite institution like Dartmouth?
Recently there has been a huge debate in the media about the cost of welfare to our society. The image that is most often portrayed is some lazy mother who does not want to work. The proposed solution is usually "they should stop being lazy and go get jobs." Well, the people at DDS currently have jobs!!! I know that some of us are very isolated here at Dartmouth and maybe haven't had the time to look around you but our college is sitting in the middle of a very impoverished area. Dartmouth College is one of the biggest employers of the Upper Valley.
The college is known in this area as a fair employer and has a good relationship with the people of the Upper Valley. The college is proud and cherishes that relationship. What do you think will happen if the students decide to eliminate dining services or even if they decide that we should cut services? Many people would lose jobs and the College's reputation may be damaged. Sometimes we forget that Dartmouth will be here and need the people of this community as a labor source long after many of us have left and are making a six-figure salary.
For the men and women who work at DDS, their jobs support families and help the economy of the Upper Valley. Because the College is fair and tries to do right by its employees, we pay these men and women well for their work and also provide benefits such as medical insurance. Who are we, as college students, to say what is a livable wage? How do we know what it takes to support a family? I have heard the argument from many that if we eliminate DDS or cut services, a need will be created for other eating establishments and therefore jobs will be created. However, I doubt that these other places will have the resources of Dartmouth to pay as well and provide benefits. The women and men at Dining Services may have to take drastic pay cuts and many might lose their medical benefits.
I know that these issues are hard to acknowledge but is $800 too high a price to pay so that we can be proud of the work our college does in this community? Yes, for those of us on financial aid there is a concern that we will be forced to leave Dartmouth. But do you really believe that Dartmouth will make those people leave who cannot afford the increase? Also consider this: according to the SA referendum, we pay the least amount of money for our food services than every other Ivy League school except Cornell.
In the kitchens of Thayer, Courtyard Cafe (a.k.a. the Hop), Byrne Hall and Collis Cafe there are real people who are cooking the lasagna that you and I eat for dinner. As an employee of Dining Services for over two years, I know that many are proud of the work they do and are very committed to the students. I for one would miss the ready smiles and 'how are you's' from DDS employees. So, today, as some of us vote, please think about the people who cook our food at the Hop, who make our sandwiches at Foodcourt and who wash our dishes at Collis. They are the real issue lurking behind the future of Dining Services.
