Yes or No: Grape Vote Options Simplified

A simple 'yes' or 'no' vote will bring the Great Grape Referendum to a close on December 3.

Monday afternoon and yesterday morning, Harvard Dining Services (HDS) met with leaders of various pro-grape and anti-grape student groups to work out the confusion caused by the six-option vote.

Now students will only have two choices: a simple yes or no vote for grapes.

HDS has also devised a unique system for voting electronically. Students will swipe their ID cards through the same devices that are used to count student meals.

"There will be a second [card swiper] set up with a yes or no option, and you swipe your card," said Alexandra E. McNitt, project manager for HDS.

Students who do not have their ID cards will not be able to vote, according to McNitt.

She said that absentee ballots will not be available either, because all voting will be electronic, but voting boxes ,will be open at all three meals to allow for maximum turnout.

McNitt said that the options were refined because of students' concerns.

"We wanted to make it happen the right way," she said. "Once it was released that there were going to be six options, there was a lot of concern from students on both sides."

Students were confused by the nuances of each of the six options, according to Roel Saldivar '01.

HDS had initially planned the vote without a clear way to interpret the results, but the new ballot will give HDS a clearer mandate.

"Dining services was just trying to get information. Then collectively we intended to look at the whole picture," McNitt said, meaning that the option garnering the highest number of votes would not necessarily be the one selected by HDS.

Saldivar said the postponement gave anti-grape supporters more time to plan their strategy.

"Having the vote postponed has been very beneficial to us," he said.

In addition to fewer ballot options, the meeting's participants came to other agreements.

They imposed a moratorium on campaigning in dining halls on the day of the vote.

"[The moratorium] was something we agreed upon. We will work on getting our message across in other ways," said Adam R. Kovacevich '99, chair of the Grape Coalition.

Some students and HDS staff members agree that the issue needs to be settled.

"I sure hope it will be the end of it. I'm pretty tired," Kovacevich said.

"We need to come to closure on this," said McNitt.

But other students plan to continue the debate.

"I am going to continue to support the boycott," Saldivar said.

Other students plan to take the boycott even further.

"It's not the end of the issue for the simple fact that we will try to get other institutions to support the boycott. We can take the campaign outside of the University," said Daniel R. Morgan '99, a member of the Progressive Student Labor Movement.

Although this vote will end the grape issue for HDS, a "yes" win does not guarantee that dining halls will serve grapes, according to McNitt. Cost and availability will also influence HDS's opinion

McNitt said that the options were refined because of students' concerns.

"We wanted to make it happen the right way," she said. "Once it was released that there were going to be six options, there was a lot of concern from students on both sides."

Students were confused by the nuances of each of the six options, according to Roel Saldivar '01.

HDS had initially planned the vote without a clear way to interpret the results, but the new ballot will give HDS a clearer mandate.

"Dining services was just trying to get information. Then collectively we intended to look at the whole picture," McNitt said, meaning that the option garnering the highest number of votes would not necessarily be the one selected by HDS.

Saldivar said the postponement gave anti-grape supporters more time to plan their strategy.

"Having the vote postponed has been very beneficial to us," he said.

In addition to fewer ballot options, the meeting's participants came to other agreements.

They imposed a moratorium on campaigning in dining halls on the day of the vote.

"[The moratorium] was something we agreed upon. We will work on getting our message across in other ways," said Adam R. Kovacevich '99, chair of the Grape Coalition.

Some students and HDS staff members agree that the issue needs to be settled.

"I sure hope it will be the end of it. I'm pretty tired," Kovacevich said.

"We need to come to closure on this," said McNitt.

But other students plan to continue the debate.

"I am going to continue to support the boycott," Saldivar said.

Other students plan to take the boycott even further.

"It's not the end of the issue for the simple fact that we will try to get other institutions to support the boycott. We can take the campaign outside of the University," said Daniel R. Morgan '99, a member of the Progressive Student Labor Movement.

Although this vote will end the grape issue for HDS, a "yes" win does not guarantee that dining halls will serve grapes, according to McNitt. Cost and availability will also influence HDS's opinion