[1929] in Discussion of MIT-community interests
Re: [Mit-talk] New Card initiative
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Dheera Venkatraman)
Mon Jul 3 13:24:57 2006
Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2006 13:20:35 -0400 (EDT)
From: Dheera Venkatraman <dheera@mit.edu>
To: Steven M Kelch <kelch@mit.edu>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.4.62L.0607031236210.16993@ptolomaea.mit.edu>
Cc: ua-scatr@mit.edu, mit-talk@mit.edu
Errors-To: mit-talk-bounces@mit.edu
On Mon, 3 Jul 2006, Steven M Kelch wrote:
> This has not yet proven to be a "stupid idea". None of us knows
> enough about it to pass judgment. Many of the problems we chalk up to the
> administration are actually students jumping to conclusions. We complain
> when they don't come to us with brand new, unrefined ideas for our input,
> but when they do we attack them for being half-baked. Is it any wonder we
> don't hear about things until they are so far in development?
the problem isn't that they come to us with brand new ideas. the problem
is they come to us with brand new ideas, not listen to us and complaints
to them (remember the MIT card, and the new cardoffice website?), and
pretty much impose them with no way to reverse them even if most students
are against it.
why couldn't they have students design the new MIT card? pay a student
with decent design skills that can do a little better than clip-art
bubbles and they would have gotten a lot further. they were *not willing*
to drop their old design and have a competition. it would have been
a reasonable compromise between the students and the
administration's need to switch to new cardstock.
that said, they are probably going to impose this food dollar BS and
despite hundreds of flames on dorm lists and lots of student letters, are
probably going to be stuck-up about their idea and impose it anyway. we
really ought to set up a petition if that's the student sentiment, and
make sure the UA does their job in taking action, if that is the case as
well.
as far as my opinion on this matter, i think it's a stupid idea. and no i
don't need to wait for it to be implemented to decide. i think it's a
stupid idea because i hate restricted money. it's lame because i believe
students should have the freedom and responsibility to explore their
dining options in the area, and if they (oh my god) are going to buy pasta
from laverdes and cook it instead of eating at simmons dining, they should
be allowed to do that. where's the quality of life here? where's the
variety?
i firmly also think that it is NOT the job of
parents to be restricting students in this matter. they should be guiding
them, and students should be responsible enough to eat. they shouldn't
have to be controlled and restricted in their spending at the college
level, and if they splurge on other things and don't eat, it's their own
damn fault, not MIT's, and not MIT's job to find a solution for. i think
it's really lame that some parents give their kids mostly techcash to make
them spend "wisely", even when they are willing to make the trips out to
much cheaper grocery stores. the purpose of techcash should be to speed up
lines and ease of use for students who use campus food options frequently,
not as a restriction. having this dining dollar business goes completely
against this goal, and pushes for MIT students having spoon-feeding
over-protective parents. the MIT administration should be pushing for
student independence and self-responsibility instead, and establish an
environment that *requires* students to manage themselves to some
degree. else, they aren't fit for this place.
_______________________________________________
MIT-talk mailing list
MIT-talk@mit.edu
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/mit-talk
