Starved for Dinner Discourse

Do you dream about discussing distributive justice with Professor of Government Michael J. Sandel over a sumptuous meal of chickwiches and cokes? Think you could talk Kenan Professor of Government Harvey "C minus" Mansfield Jr. '53 into an A if only he were under the spell of Annenberg's infamous Emerald Beef? Would your life be complete if, just once, you had the opportunity to say "excuse me Helen Vendler, would you please pass the salt"?

Fear not, students of fair Harvard, your greatest fantasies can finally become a reality.

Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 announced last Friday that senior Faculty members, including professors and some lecturers and preceptors, now have unlimited access to Annenberg and House dining halls when accompanied by students. With this change, brought about after lobbying by Undergraduate Council members John Paul Rollert '00 and Michael D. Shumsky '01, undergraduates starved for meaningful student-Faculty interaction will finally be able to fill their plates. The new policy, which eliminates the hassle of having to obtain meal vouchers in order to dine with professors, will go into effect immediately and will run on a trial basis for the rest of the semester. It is a welcome act from an administration all too frequently chastised for being unresponsive to student complaints.

That being said, the new policy alone will not foster the kind of student-Faculty discourse Harvard is often criticized for lacking. While the student body complains about distance from Faculty, professors often sit idle during office hours, proving that faculty availability is not always the same as student-Faculty interaction. It would be a shame for this new policy, like office hours, to remain largely unused.

Moreover, the policy still does not respond to greater barriers to student-Faculty interaction including large class size and limited advising. We may now be able to dine with professors but student-Faculty interaction outside the classroom will never be an adequate substitute for student-Faculty interaction inside the classroom. This reform should be the first of many.