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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 11, 1941)
Dorms Denounced by Irritated Residents; (Editor’s note The first three letters, printed below, were re ceived by the Emerald since the publication of the last Emerald on Friday, December 5. The re mainder were received earlier but because of the large number re ceived prior to the Friday issue it was impossible to publish all of them in that issue.) Lousiest Food To the Editor: “Breathes there the ‘dorm’ man with soul so dead who never to himself hath said” . . . “This is the lousiest food I ever tasted!” “If such there be, go mark him well, for” . . . he’s the biggest liar on the campus. There is no denying it. The food problem at the dorm is serious, and not just a “popping off” on the part of a few, finicky, dis satisfied inmates . . . and what’s more there is no excuse for it. With the money paid by the stu dents for their board, the food should not only be wholesome, but palatable as well. It is neith er. Maybe "theoretically,” from the dietician’s point of view, the food corresponds to the gourmet at the Waldorf; but a stringy, dried up piece of beef, no matter how many thousands of theoret ical calories it contains, can still taste like the binding on my grandfather’s Bible. Food must taste good to be good. Variety is another one of the “unfortunate” unsblVed problems at the dorm. The dorm manage ment seems to go on the assump tion that there is no known sub stitute for bread. For their in formation there is. Even hardtack (Ry-krisp to the more stylish element) would taste good for a change. No need to mention cot tage cheese. We didn’t like it! Solution Endorsed As to the solution, we heartily endorse the Emerald’s suggestion for a student food counselor in each dorm division. If the deplorable food situation were the only problem to be dealt with at the dorm, the task would be relatively simple. The afore mentioned plan would probably solve it. But there are other prob lems to be dealt with which are equally serious. 1. Where does all the money go? It certainly is not all con sumed in the preparation of the dorm’s incomparable cuisine. It just as certainly doesn’t go into a convenient passing sewer. Peo ple just don't do things like that, even with income taxes as they are. It would be interesting to find out just where those elusive little green things do wander. IUUII3 2. The “ingenious” system of deducting from the breakage fees of all the students for the denting or otherwise mangling of each tin plated ash tray is another sore in the dorm dweller’s hide. One hall was assessed $10 for an accidental paper fire which slightly black ened the exterior of the hall lire place. To add insult to injury the “devastating” damage has never been repaired. P.S. What hap pened to the ten spot? ? ? The assessments levied on per sonal breakage fees are almost as ridiculous and provoking. One poor, non-complaining student had 50 cents deducted from his breakage fee for three years for the same burn on his desk, a burn in fact which he hadn’t even in curred. The burn is still there, and this year’s will probably be pay ing for its upkeep. In another instance, a tiny pane in one of the “luxurious” hall lamps was broken. The das tardly offender was assessed $2.50 for his grave misdoing. The fatal damage took place two years ago. The glass is still brok en. These are but a few of the thousands of instances of unfair assesments which have taken place in recent years and which are still going on today. This practice should either be done away with or modified to within the realm of sensibility. Insecticide? 3. Why should the dorm smell like the confines of an insecticide plant? You don’t mind smelling like mothballs from that old blue suit you’ve tucked away for the winter; but when you’re trying to impress that cute li’l blonde from Cal. on Saturday night and smell like a fugitive from a delousing sprayer . . . well that’s too much! You will never appreciate the smell of pure air until you’ve lived a term at the dorm. 4. The poor wages paid to dormitory help has been discussed at length in previous protests. We would just like to add that ditch diggers are getting $10 a day right now. Just plain “beefing” is not enough. Something must be done. We suggest a meeting of the Interdorm council and the heads of the University be called to completely “hash over” the whole situation. The students must have a voice in deciding their own liv ing conditions. Charley Chaucer, on behalf of 40 indigestion-ridden brethren. Good Cooks To the Editor: There is one phase of the pres ent dormitory situation that I would like to make clear. It has been insinuated and has been understood by many people that food served in the dormi tory is improperly cooked. I am in a position to know that the cooks in the dormitory are entirely capable of produc ing wholesome, pleasing dishes, but no cook, no matter how skilled he is, can produce ac ceptable food when he has to use cheap, plain foodstuffs such as the dormitory cooks must use. In fact, the dormitory cooks are doing a splendid job in turn ing out the best possible dishes with the materials they use. The blame lies not on the cooks. They are t® be commended. But the cause of the whole situation is the improper and cheap pur chasing of food materials and the narrow-mindedness of those who prepares money-saving menus to benefit themselves. ONE WHO KNOWS. A Coed Speaks To the Editor: It seems to me that the boys have aired their problems rather thoroughly and the girls have about the same grievances but there are a few I would like to add. I really feel that they do try to have half way decent food for us but there is plenty room for improvement. I don’t think they buy the best quality in the first place, and in the second place, it could be prepared and served better. I realize that is impossible to meet everyone’s likes and dis likes but I don’t think anyone is asking them to do that. We sim ply want food of high quality, well seasoned and served hot. The most vital grievance of this problem is, however, that boys and girls just can’t be ex pected to eat the same kind of food. The boys don’t like the lunches—neither do we—but the girls don’t like the over-abun dance of starches at dinner. I think our dietician does her best to plan balanced meals but even a genius couldn’t give boys and girls the same food and expect girls to get energy and not fat and the boys to get quantity. Then there is the matter of paying for all the meals we don’t eat. Those of us who don’t eat breakfast should not be expected to pay for it. We would rather pay the full price and get better lunches and dinners. By the way, a lat more of us would eat break fast if they would break down and give us a little fruit juice or bacon and eggs now and then. And that brings up another point which particularly concerns those of us who live in Susan Campbell Hall. We have to walk 2'/2 blocks to the men dorm. That is 15 blocks a day just to eat. We know it helps our figures but it is very inconvenient, neverthe less. In reference to the break fast problem, it is not so bad for the boys who just have to run downstairs or for the Hendricks Hall girls who can eat breakfast in their robes and then go back to bed; but we have to dress and go five blocks just for a cup of coffee. Higher Wages To get to the wage of the help, I think with the amount of board and room that we pay, we should be able to pay higher wages. In fact, just vyhere is our money go ing? I think we -have a right to know, and I think we should have an expert go through and see just what is being done with the money. One boy mentioned that there were only two in a room with adequate space and what not. In the girls’ dorm there are four in a room and it is crowded to say the least; but that is beyond our control, so there is no use talking about it. However, there is no ex cuse for improper lighting, and inadequate study facilities. An other little thing I would like to mention is this: the boys say towels and soap are supposed to be furnished. Well, we are sup posed to be furnished with blankets, but if we depended on the one blanket we get, we would all die of pneumonia. A “SUSIE” COED. Food Putrid To the Editor: Your editorial in today’s Em erald said something that we stu dents in the dorm have been wanting to shout for a long time. Yes, we realize syrup has gone up 15 per cent and bacon 50 per cent, so what. I personally have seen no syrup and one half slice of bacon this term. Our main diet is salads, noon and night. We would probably have them for breakfast if it were not for the fact corn flakes are cheaper. They can’t cook potatoes and put them on the tables without adding cheese (left over from the previous lunch salad) or some other ingredient which defies identification. To* be brutal, the food is putrid. The three dollar raise which is coming January 1 will hit some pretty hard, but I believe most of the dorm students would be will ing to pay the extra if they were getting their money’s worth. The point is they’re not. The imposed fines and taxes for breakage are exhorbitant. If something falls apart from sheer old age, we pay for it—and how we pay. A metal partition in one of the washrooms finally fell down and the students on that floor were accused of kicking it down. Every student on the floor was assessed to pay for it. The charge—50 cents per bolt for re placement of the original parti tion. The dorm students should band together and decide on some course of action. We’ve taken an awful shakedown and it should be stopped. Jimmy Lyons Results To the Editor: I thank you very much for your editorial. I'm glad to see that finally we are getting some results from our fight for better conditions in the dorm. Please keep up your good work. I believe the students in this hall are in favor of your platform. John E. Maher Investigation Waged To the Editor: I am wholly in favor of your argument on dormitories as ex pressed in this morning’s paper. Might I suggest that a thor ough investigation of the matter be held at the earliest possible date. Norman Mannheimer Suckers! To the Editor: Your editorial in Thursday’s Emerald was greeted very warm ly by myself and the rest of the “suckers” of this organization, and we appreciate very much your efforts to bring this matter to the attention of the “Big Wigs” of our University. I do not believe the students are getting a fair return for the good hard cash that they pay for board and room. I have noticed that the appearance of the lunch es is enough to turn the stom achs of some of my fellow mem bers. It is hard enough to eat foul looking lunches they serve, but to have to sit there and listen to everyone groan is hard. Every one agrees that they like their cornflakes for breakfast and not for lunch. It seems to me on the income the “dorm” receives for board (about $13,000 a month) they should be able to serve the best meals in Eugene. Lord knows they pay the help little enough. So where does all that money go ? Boy would I like to get my cut. The rooms, I should say these 2x4 cubes are not so hot for $16 a month. The lights are bad. I was always led to believe that a university was progressive. One look at a dormitory room will change one’s mind. These rooms might have been the style of the late twenties, but this is in the forties. Yes, Miss Angell, I heartily agree with you on your editorial of December 4, 1941. I hope the suckers in the dorm get a little attention from the right places. The people in the doma don’t want to be suckers forever. Thanking you for the wonder ful start that you have given us on the road to better meals and living conditions. Just one of the dorm’s suckers. Allan R. Powers Accurately Expressed To the Editor: You accurately expressed the views of hundreds of dormitory residents in your Thursday morn ing editorial, “The Dorm Situa tion.” Jim Rasmussen A 'New7 Order To the Editor: In regard to the editorial con cerning thje dormitory food, I agree in main wuth the state ments therein, and feel intensely that something should be done. It could be better. Hopefully yours for a “new order.” John Williams Best of Term To the Editor : I regard your editorial on “The Dorm Situation” printed in Thursday’s Emerald as one of the best this term. The article is well written and to the point. It pictures the situa lion as it actually exists without exaggeration. Perhaps some of the points were not stressed enough. With hopes that your editorial brings action and results. Wesley W. Wills Hats Off To the Editor: Hats off to you for your editor ial on the “Dorm Situation.” It was s perfect picture of the situa tion. Worse than the food situation, however, is the lavatory situa tion in which neither paper towels nor soap dispensers are furnished. More power to the Emerald. Bill Workman Clarion Call To the Editor: Today the Emerald sounded the clarion call and the lid that has Veen covering the smoldering pot flew off with gusto. And it un covered more than just stinking food. “What was cooking?” some may ask— Well, we students at the d©rTS* have long waited a chance to voice our complaints. Concerning our rood, we have petitioned and remonstrated, we have supplicat ed ourselves before the almighty throne cf the dorm administra tion. Our petitions have been spurned, our remonstrances have been treated with contempt, and from the throne today came the remark that the Emerald is just popping off—also that the person who wrote that editorial never was in the dorm before . . . I don't know about that, but if the writer hadn’t been, a better imitation of dormitory occupancy, couldn’t have been issued. There are lots of rumors concerning sal aries and partialities and p^cty peeves of the housekeepers, cost ing the fellows a pretty penny. Some are more than just rumors. I found out the hard way. However, let’s get to the bot tom of this situation; let’s not leave our accusations in mid-air. If these points are true, and I believe -for one that they are, let’s air them. If they’re not true, and I know some people have their fingers crossed, let’s dispel them. But by all means let’s hav^n student investigation of this pot. Then we’ll know what’s cooking. Thanks for your editorial. A Senior Majority Opinion To the Editor: Feeling that we represent the majority opinion of those who board at the men’s dormitory we would like to thank the Emerald for its interest in a problem which we feel should have been brought to attention long ago. Your editorial appearing in Wednesday’s Emerald, concern ing living and boarding conditions in the dormitories, has broache.^ the problem and we should like to further prove our contention that we are paying exhorbitant rates for meals to which we would actually be ashamed to in vite our friends. To bear out our point we would like to ask the officials of the University and the members of the faculty housing committee to investigate the food served at the dormitory, and determine for themselves the justification of our complaint. If they find that we are right perhaps some satisfactory ar rangement can be made to fur ther understanding and coooera tion between management and students. Three boarders y (Please turn to Pane jive)