Dining Workers Downplay Insensitivity

Members of University Dining Services yesterday acknowledged that featuring "Fifties" nostalgia nights in river houses two weeks ago reflected insensitivity to certain minority concerns, but disagreed on the seriousness of the offense.

The employees responded to statements issued late last month by Assistant Dean for Minority Affairs and Race Relations Hilda Hernandez-Gravelle. In an open letter to the College January 25, Hernandez-Gravelle admonished the dining service's choice of publicizing the 1950s as a trouble-free time.

"The 50s have been romanticized by some as 'fabulous, fun' times," the dean wrote, "However,...[a] historical account of the times will show the 50s as a time which was indeed painful, complicated and even life threatening for people of color."

In mid-January, Eliot, Kirkland, Leverett, Lowell and Winthrop house dining halls sponsored 1950s theme dinners advertised through posters and fliers. The notices included statements intended to evoke nostalgia and invite students to return to a time described as "care-free". After receiving complaints about the event from students, Hernandez-Gravelle released the statement to increase community awareness of racial concerns.

The letter described the dinner incident as "very subtle" and one that "resulted from the kind of insensitivity in which we can participate without meaning to offend anyone."

Director of University Dining Hall Services Frank J. Weissbecker expressed surprise that the event, which he said has taken place for seven years, spurred a negative reaction.

"I'm just appalled that, given the number of years this thing has been running, suddenly this is offensive," Weissbecker said.

Other dining services staff members agreed with Weissbecker's.

"The students were pretty content with the evening," said Leverett House Dining Service Manager Frank Dalaklis said. "A few of them even dressed for the occasion," he said.

Weissbecker added that it was never the intention of any staff members to hurt any students. He said that theme nights

like the one of fifties nostalgia are onlymeant to be used as "monotony breakers" and that"nothing is put together by design to offendanyone."

But some employees acknowledged that the themenight could have been controversial. WinthropManager Rascoe Strickland said that the idea ofromanticizing the fifties upset him but did notsurprise him.

"I was alarmed but not surprised by the '50stheme night," Strickland said. "We're not existingin a vacuum. A lot of the problems that exist inthe outside world exist here as well."

"I feel that as a Black person we cannot forgetthe past. Unless you know the past you cannot livein the future. But maybe we should do a '50s and a'60s night," he added.

Weissbecker said that despiteHernandez-Gravelle's letter, no restrictions havebeen placed on the dining service's freedom tocreate menus or plan events.

"Why should we be censured? Because someonehappened to say that the '50s were carefree?" saidWeissbecker. "You could easily pick any period inhistory and distort it in this day and age.