The Indianapolis journal., 1903-11-22
A COLLEGE EXPERIMENT
HARVARDs NEW ARRANGEMENT
FOR FEEDING ITS STUDENTS.
The "American Plan" Modified to
Special Charge for Misunderstanding
of the Star Boarder.

CAMbRlOGE, MASS NON E1--A AS Noi'
paratively small number of Harvard stu
dents who will remain at the big dining
room of Memorial Hall to eat their Thanks
giving dinner-the great majority spending
their holidays away from conege-next
Thursday will have the experience un-
known TO the classes OF previous years OF
paying for their turkey according TO the
amount they eat. This Is something new at
Harvard-one Of two innovations introduced
this autumn for the first time at the big
dining hall wherein some 1900 students
meet daily for bread and meat No longer
may the young Harvard man 'stuff on
flesh, fab and fowl TO hearts content for
no purpose Of ministering 10 his needs but
because he is paying board bills by the
week, and no longer may he tip the waiter
to Get better service than his comrades
enjoy.
Both these innovations involve interesting
departures IA the system OF feeding stu
dents at Harvard. Until this fall Memorial
Hail, the principal Harvard dining room,
was conducted on what is known in gas
eronomio circles the American plan,"
whereby one pays a lump sum for dinner
and then eats all one can. The hall is prac-
tically one extensive aiming club. or rather
Q series OF small dining clubs under one
roof. since the 1.soo students divide them
selves about row after row OF long, white
covered club tables. The total expense Of
the eating has always been met by an ex-
act division OF cost among the members.
HAS INVOLVED WASTE.
This arrangement has kept the board at
Memorial si about s4.5 or $3.50. but It has
involved also a great waste in provisions.
particularly in the departments OF meat.
fsh and eggs. which average about three
fourths OF the regular cost of supplying
the Harvard appetite. Every student has
heretofore been under more or less tempta-
ton to order up almost everything on the
bill Of fare "just TO see what 1t looks Ike
q temptation that is, OF course. inherent In
the American system OF boarding wherever
Il fourishes. To minimize this waste these
principal items have now been placed on the
menu at cost price-roast ribs Of beef with
dieh gravy. for example. at IL cents. OF
roast young chicken. stuffed, with giblet
sauce at 1880 that they must be ordered
and paid for by ticket.
The amount OF flesh, fish and fowl con-
sumed is thus left TO the inclination Of each
individual student boarder. All other arti-
-cles Of food remain as under the former
system, and the cost of this general
board" together with the expense of run
ming the hall. is still divided equally among
the students. A young man now has much
lar-er liberty to follow his individual pref
erences. II. for instance, one wants to emu
late the treatment which DR.. Wiley's VOL
unteer feeders recently underwent in the
interest Of the United States Department of
Agriculture and do without meats entirely,
one may henceforth do so without having
20 pay part of the board OF fellows who
scorn vegetarianism- On the other hand, If
the student, as is usually the case, elects
TO be a hearty beef-eater, the expense OF his
individual board IS a personal matter,
which the economy OF the news system
places at q really lower figure than 1t
would formerly have amounted to.
The new system reduces the minimum
beard OF the typical Harvard man" to
about $3.50 a week. and makes the average
cost Of student living in the hall run from
% to s.. 1t has further an application to
the frequent cases OF absences from meals.
For every dinner he doesn't eat the stu
dent saves on his meat, fish or eggs, while
ut the same time the genera, board" SO
called, cempels him to pay his proportion
ate share of such expenses as must go on
whether he is present or not.
Thus far this season the new system has
worked admirably and will. it is believed
effectually solve question in the economy
OF running a big college dining hall that
has long worried the student managers
ofs the Harvard Dining Association, af-
fording perhaps a useful object lesson to
other institutions where the American
plan Is followed without qualifications.
NO TIPS FOR WALTERS.
There is, It should be said, one new item
tn the expenses of the individual student
which stands for a regulation that doubtless
appeared revolutionary to the expectani
throng OF walters when they assembled
last September IN the big Memorial base
ment to receive instructions before be-
ginning the autumn season. There is nc
more tipping at Memorial, and the new
item is dime added to the weekly charge
against each boarder for the purpose oi
making compensatory addition to the
walters salaries. AS there is about one
waiter to fifteen or twenty students, this
regular perquisite makes an appreoiabl,
Increase in the colored brothers pay, anc
perhaps equals approximately the amount
previously distributed in tips. 1t is no
supposed that the custom of tipping ii
Memorial has ever been very serious men
ace to the democracy OF Harvard, but 4
has unquestionably caused a certain un
evenness in the attention paid by Memoria
walters TO those who. under the condition.
of service in a college commons, quite a
much as in those OF big hotel. are liter
ally dependent upon the colored gentlemen
for their bread and butter.
THE directors of the Dining Associa
tion." 10 quote the card which every waite
was given to read. ponder and accept be
fore he entered upon his present year.
work. believe that fair wages. agreed {,
I'm advance. and sure to be paid. with n,
tips. are more just than low wages, will
unequal and uncertain tips. Therefor
tipping will not be continued The sta
Boardsf" from the walters point of viev
has thus ceased to exist in the Harvar,
commons.