Not my personal choice, but pretty standard for college life. We have two successful co-ops and one currently out of commission. This is not good enough. At present, our system does not work. At co-ops students can have fun, be social and be independent.
People learn to work together and cook together.
The realization that everyone depends on you to feed them brings overwhelming motivation to get your job done and to do it well. They may not be as glamorous as the eating clubs, but I guarantee they teach more. I spent one weekend at a school most Princeton students did not even look at, let alone know about, and I realized we are missing out on some great possibilities. In Oberlin, Ohio, farmland stretches for as far as the eye can see. White baseball caps and Prada bags are in the minority, while nose piercings outnumber hair clips.