WTF, College?

[ricardienne]

Subject: For those staying on campus over Thanksgiving
Headers: Show All Headers


FREE THANKSGIVING DINNER
NOVEMBER 26, 2009


The Salvation Army in [redacted] will be serving a FREE Thanksgiving dinner
on November 26 from 11am to 1pm.

[redacted] College in conjunction with the Dean of Students office will be providing a shuttle
on November 26 leaving from [redacted] Bus Stop at 10:30am going to the Salvation Army in
[redacted].

Am I missing something, or is this in quite bad taste for a freaking private liberal arts college?

Comments

[kama-of-the-roo.livejournal.com]

In bad taste? Are you worried that they're assuming that you're poor?

[wyldlittlepoet.livejournal.com]

I think it's more a matter of (relatively) affluent college students taking food out of the mouths of those who really need a Thanksgiving dinner and won't have it any other way.

[tif123.livejournal.com]

Hmm... well they are only "taking food out of the mouths of those who really need" it if there isn't enough food for all who attend.

I would think, though, that non-poor college students who want to attend should consider either volunteering to help prepare the meal or making a monetary donation.

[existentialgoat.livejournal.com]

I would think, though, that non-poor college students who want to attend should consider either volunteering to help prepare the meal or making a monetary donation.

This!

[the-alchemist.livejournal.com]

I don't see that there's anything wrong with the Sally Army reaching out to people who might be lonely as well as people who might be hungry.

And you're more likely to be able to reach out to hungry people too if your event doesn't have a big metaphorical label saying "for poor people only". Some of the neediest don't like being labelled that way.

[ricardienne.livejournal.com]

This is true. And I do not know how this event is being presented by the SA.

[ricardienne.livejournal.com]

Partly what Lia said, and also because the impression it gave me was "we're going to dump our students somewhere where there's free food on Thanksgiving, rather than make any effort ourselves to have something communal for them." Other years, they have done that -- having a dinner on campus, or encouraging professors/community members to invite one or two students over for Thanksgiving dinner.