Students' enthusiasm for hot food and issues of College life saturated Student Assembly's Visions dinner last night in Collis Commonground.
Student leaders intended the discussion to follow up on a similar event that the Assembly sponsored five years ago upon the inauguration of College President James Wright. Diners considered a wide variety of topics, including the College's curriculum, social options and admissions policies.
"Our eventual goal is to produce a report with the thoughts, hopes and criticisms of Dartmouth students," Assembly member Amit Anand '03 said. Group leaders took notes for later review by the Assembly.
Students roundly criticized the College's sparse offering of interdisciplinary courses and proposed a medley of alternative classes.
"I'd like undergraduates to be able to take classes with Tuck students," Thomas Cheung '05 said.
Discussion group participants also had harsh words for Dartmouth Dining Services. Invectives centered around the perceived high price of food and the lack of vegetarian dining choices.
"Especially in Food Court, there aren't enough vegetarian options. You have to get a salad, basically," Sumintra Wood '06 said.
Other students suggested that College cafeterias offer a more ethnically diverse assortment of food.
"More Asian food would be good," Lucas Nikkel '05 said. "The stir-fry really blows."
Student debate over admissions focused on questions of affirmative action, as undergraduates considered whether the College should openly support admissions policies that take race into account. Undergraduates came down on both sides of the issue, with many questioning the fundamental assumptions of affirmative action.
"I think it's good to promote underrepresented groups, but what if you're a Mennonite, or some group that isn't recognized [as a minority]. What do you mean by affirmative action if, in the name of diversity, you exclude some people from this school?" Julie Kim '06 said.
Student reaction to the dinner as a whole was generally positive. Most undergraduate participants expressed great satisfaction with the event. However, many of the 40-odd participants were affiliated with the Assembly, and some unaffiliated attendees were not actively involved in the discussion.
"I just came in for the food, and I missed the presentation," Ali Krzton '06 said. "The food was good."
