Rodin visits campus dining halls

Dying to know if Judith Rodin prefers carrots to broccoli? Muffins to biscuits? Hamburgers to hot dogs? Several students will find out the answers to these questions and many more in a series of dinners the new University president plans to hold with students in various dining halls across campus. In an attempt to meet the University community, Rodin dined out with students from the W.E.B. DuBois College House and Van Pelt College House at the Anvil Club in the Class of 1920 Commons last night. This meal was the second of six such events scheduled during the next three weeks. "I really want to get out," Rodin said. "I want to meet students. I want to find out what's on peoples' minds." After arriving at 6:20 p.m., Rodin pushed her tray down the line, chose her food and joined students at their table for a half hour dinner conversation. "We've talked about the quality of courses and the quality of teaching, randomized housing, what the choice of a college house means and what that experience really provides, whether Penn serves the student's needs in terms of the continuity between the classroom and the rest of the student's activity," she said. Rodin said she believes the meals are a good start in learning about the University. "I think Penn students are extraordinarily diverse in their attitudes [and] in their feelings about what they came here to get and how well they are being served in terms of what their needs and aspirations are," she said. Last Friday, Rodin met with students from Kings Court and English House in her first meal with students. College freshman Nicholas Zinn, a Kings Court resident, attended the dinner held in the private dining room in English House. "She basically had no planned agenda," Zinn said. "She just answered students' questions as they came. She discussed everything from medical research funding to the University's policy regarding free speech." These two dinners were just the beginning for Rodin. The president will be eating lunch with Hill House residents on September 21, students from the Modern Language College House and the five Living Learning programs on October 4 and students who live in the Quadrangle on October 11. Students living in Stouffer College House and Ware College House will have dinner with Rodin on September 27. Each residence will pre-select students from the dormitory to attend these meals. The president is also planning to meet with students who live off campus, she said. "Obviously they'll have some very different experiences and some common ones," Rodin said. "And I want to understand that." Rodin said so far she has enjoyed meeting students in the dining halls. "I am very impressed by the Penn undergraduate," Rodin said. "I'm having a wonderful time doing this. It's just a great treat to get to know students." The president said she wants her contact with students to extend to the rest of campus. "I really want people to feel that they can come up to me and talk to me," Rodin explained. "I won't be a very good president if all I do is sit in College Hall."

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