Weekend meals not eaten up

Preliminary numbers seem to indicate that far fewer student than expected are taking advantage of the first Dining Services weekend meal plans in 17 years. Dining was prepared to serve up to 2,400 students per meal, according to Executive Director of Hospitality Services Don Jacobs. But staffers at the two dining halls serving Saturday and Sunday brunch and dinner estimated that they served only 2,800 meals altogether each weekend. Dining decided last spring to reinstate weekend meals after their own surveys and an independent study by the consulting firm of Cornyn Fasano showed considerable student interest. Dining's studies found that the majority of approximately 3,000 students polled wanted weekend meals, while Cornyn Fasano's study reported over 70 percent of undergraduates favored weekend brunch. But if the number of students currently signed up for weekend meals is any indication, students are far more likely to check off the "yes" box on an opinion poll than to actually sign up for weekend meals. According to Jacobs' estimate, approximately 1,500 students -- the majority of whom are freshman -- signed up for weekend meals over the summer. He added that Dining Services' goal was to sign an additional 500 students for weekend meal contracts at the Center for University of Pennsylvania Identification. CUPID paperwork, however, had not been tallied by the end of last week due to computer glitches, Jacobs said. Dining Services Director Bill Canney refused to estimate the number of students signed up for or attending weekend meals, describing such tallies as premature. According to some students, the number of weekend meal plan participants will be getting smaller, rather than larger. Many freshmen at Stouffer Commons dinner last night said they will drop out of weekend meal plans as soon they can. According to Dining Services policy, students must wait until October 6 to alter meal plans and pay a $30 fee. Wharton freshman Louisa Lee discussed her weekend dining contract with friend's over a Stouffer macaroni and cheese dinner. "I am on the silver [14-meal] plan, which is a mistake," Lee said. And Wharton freshman Sarah Goodstine agreed that "most of us are thinking of dropping it." Throughout the sparsely populated dining hall, most freshmen said they had already researched Dining Services policies for meal plan changes and resigned themselves to eating 14 or 19 meals a week until October. Several freshman explained that they had signed up for weekend meals because they -- or their parents -- were nervous about fending for themselves. Josh Kuntz, a Wharton freshman who said he will probably switch off the weekend meal plan, said his mother was "afraid I wasn't going to eat." College freshman Alexis McBride said she "didn't want to worry where my meals where coming from," adding that she was also considering changing her meal contract. Echoing what could be described as the freshman refrain, Lee explained that she simply "didn't know any better." But Canney said he is not surprised by the possibility of turnover among the freshman. "People always may have second thoughts when they sign up for any plan, especially if it's freshmen we are talking about," Canney said. "They are not quite sure what's in store for them when they get on campus." Canney added that as the program becomes more established, he expects more upperclassmen will sign up. "We're doing this because the students asked for it," he said. "This provides a convenience for students who are on campus, it provides an opportunity for them to dine in a safe environment. Procedurally, meals went smoothly, according to Canney, except for problems with the new PennCards, which continue to overload Dining Hall card readers.