Students Give Up Dinner for Charity

Given the choice between teriyaki tips or rice and beans, close to 2500 students chose the latter last night and helped raise over $4,000 for local charities.

The Hunger Awareness Committee led the drive to raise funds for the Lutheran Homeless Shelter and the food shelters at 0 Garden St. Harvard Dining Services contributed $2.15 for each meal undergraduates didn't eat.

Hunger Awareness Committee members noted that this year's turnout of 2464 students exceeded last year's tally of 1000 participants and $2000 in funds raised.

"This year, we moved from a passive to an active sign-up," Hunger Awareness Committee Co-chair Jason E. Chen '97 said, "Instead of sitting at the [entrance] of the dining hall, this year we made announcements inside the halls and went from table to table signing up volunteers."

Summer Homeless Committee Co-chair Jonathan D. Feldman '97 said his group was pleased with the turnout but noted that more students would have participated if they had started tabling earlier.

"We managed to sign up 350 people in the Union in one night last week," Feldman said. "This year, we tabled for only three days. Seventy percent to 80 percent of the students we asked agreed to do it. If we start earlier next year, we can reach more students, possibly getting up to 50 percent of the student body to participate."

Director of Dining Services Michael P. Berry agreed.

"At UCI [University of California at Irvine], where I used to work, 80 percent of the students did Hunger Awareness Day," Berry did. "I think with a little more effort, we can do the same at Harvard."

Chen said he was upset by the attitudes of certain students who refused to go hungry.

"I was disappointed with many people's responses when they heard about theday," Chen said. "A lot of people were anal andstubborn about giving up their meals, even if justfor one night."

Chen also expressed disappointment that somestudents signed up for the replacement meal ofrice and beans but planned to go out to eatinstead.

"We tried to tell people not to do that, but ofcourse we can't stop them," he said.

Many students, however, were more than willingto get by on rice and beans for one night.

"It's not a painful decision to make for onenight--I don't miss the Union food," Lam Q. Nguyen'98 said. "Besides, I'll do everything I can tohelp."

For members of the lightweight crew team, whohave to slim down for a race against Navy thisSaturday, the meal came as a pleasant alternative.

"Hey, sign me up for rice and beans everyThursday night for the rest of the year!" saidteam member Bill O. Evans '98

Chen also expressed disappointment that somestudents signed up for the replacement meal ofrice and beans but planned to go out to eatinstead.

"We tried to tell people not to do that, but ofcourse we can't stop them," he said.

Many students, however, were more than willingto get by on rice and beans for one night.

"It's not a painful decision to make for onenight--I don't miss the Union food," Lam Q. Nguyen'98 said. "Besides, I'll do everything I can tohelp."

For members of the lightweight crew team, whohave to slim down for a race against Navy thisSaturday, the meal came as a pleasant alternative.

"Hey, sign me up for rice and beans everyThursday night for the rest of the year!" saidteam member Bill O. Evans '98