a.
The Michigan Daily-Thursday, September7, 1978-Page
Housing considers Hill area meal consolidation
by RICHARD BERKE
Sleepy, slipper-clad diners who like to
stumble down to their Sunday dinner
just before the cafeteria doors slam,
may eventually have to break their
last-minute eating habits.
The University Housing Office is con-
sidering plans to consolidate food ser-
vice for the Hill area dormitories with a.
central dining hall behind Mosher-
Jordan. The new facility would cost
some $3.5 million.
UNIVERSITY Housing Director
Robert Hughes said the idea of food
service consolidation has come up
several times in the last decade, but has
been' stymied by student opposition.
Now, Hughes said, soaring housing ex-
penses are forcing his office to take
another serious look at consolidation.
Last December, Hughes directed a
task force of Housing Office officials to
examine the feasibility. of con-
solidation. Hughes also hired
Winebrenner & Ebejer Architects, Inc.,
a Farmington Hills firm, to conduct a
feasibility study. The consolidation
would replace existing food services in
Couzens, Alice Lloyd, Mosher-Jordan,
and Stockwell dorms.
The task force's report estimated
that a move into one dining area would
lead to an annual savings of nearly half
a million dollars, mostly due to reduced
labor costs. Most other large univer-
sities have consolidated food service.
ACTION ON the consolidation plan
hinges on the Regents' approval, as
well as that of the Housing Office.
Specifically, the Mosher-Jordan ad-
dition would be built in the space direc-
tly west of the long axis of the dorm and
between the two east and west wings of
the existing building. The addition
would contain dining rooms
overlooking Palmer Field in addition to
multi-purpose rooms.
Construction of this option would
result in 100 additional student spaces
in the other dorms where food service
would be cut. The firm said extra space
would also be available in the Hill area
dorms for seminar rooms, dance
studios, band rooms, recreation space,
cooking areas, arts and crafts rooms
Architect's model shows proposed cafeteria consolidation plan behind Mosher-
Jordan.
troduced. "As a concept I'm against
it."
But Mike Synk, former president of
the student-composed University
Housing Council, said he favors the
consolidation idea but has doubts about
the costs involved.
"I CAN SEE why consolidation is a
good thing. You can take space and get
more room," he said. "But at $3.5
million and rising dorm rates and no
new construction of dorms, it seems
kind 'of funny they'd want this con-
solidation. It's really stupid the way
everyone eats .in their own dor:
ms. . . there's a lot of duplication."
"I think it's (consolidation) a good
idea because dorm rates have been
going up seven to eight per cent each
year arid I know for a fact one of the
biggest reasons for consolidation of
food services is high labor costs," said
junior Mike Raymond, former
president of the Mosher-Jordan student
government.
The Housing Office task force-sur-
veyed more than 800 dorm residents to
determine what student reaction would
be to the consolidation plans. Respon
dents said they would favor eating ir
their own dorm, even if a wider variety
of food choices were made available ii
a central location and more
recreational space made in their do?
ins.
BUT HUGHES said some con
solidation action will inevitably occu
in the future.
"I would guess that someday food
service will be consolidated on cam
pus,". he said. "It's obvious as cost4
continue to escalate there will be soma
point to some type of consolidation."
Building an underground facility
near Mosher-Jordan and combiniri
kitchen space in Mosher-Jordan ani
Alice Lloyd were among the cor
solidation ideas examined and sub
sequently rejected by the architect.
The task force report estimates that
the cost of building a central facili1
without renovating vacated space
would be paid back in about six and dfHt
half years through savings resultiriP
from consolidation. With renovations
the payback period would be extended
five more years.
and other uses.
WHEN CONSOLIDATION alter-
natives were offered by the firm,
Hughes said he didn't have definite
plans for action, but agreed with the ar-
chitect that the Mosher-Jordan option is
the most viable.
Student leaders, who for so long op-
posed consolidation efforts, have so far
expressed more interest in the plan
than the Regents.
Regent Deane Baker (R-Ann Arbor),
who was once in the food business, said
last spring he would be "cautious "in,
considering any consolidation
possibility.
"BEFORE THAT kind of plan is un-
dertaken it would have close scrutiny
by the administration .and then by the
Regents," he said. "I don't think this
one would move rapidly."
"Cost savings would have to be
dramatic for me to be for it (con-
solidation)," said Regent David Laro
(R-Flint) when the plan was in-
Campus security:
Watching over 'U'
Studying
got you
down
aria a -
(Continued from Page 6)
Although drug abuse has fallen off
drastically since the early 70's, 1977
statistics do display an increase of over
100 per cent in drug cases from 1976.
ACCORDING TO Davids, cases in-
volving hard drug use is still declining,
but reports of marijuana use have been
steadily rising in recent years.
Once initial discovery of a crime is
made, the contracted guards can at-
tempt a citizen's arrest, or call in
special security officers, who have
police training.
There are about 21 employed safety
officers, including one fire :marshall
and three supervisors.
Because one of the biggest safety
department concerns is rape, parking
lot areas around dorms are patrolled by
the department, and the University also
offers a special "Nite Owl" bus service,
providing late-night transportation in
the campus area.
ANOTHER trouble area for officers
is the perpetually high theft rate in
dorm rooms. Davids says it's hard to
catch most dormitory robbers, because
they walk off only with pocketable
items such as wallets, jewelry and
money. Invariably, however, applian-
ces and stereo equipment turn up
missing, too.
Property reported stolen from
University buildings - most of which
beonged to students - amounted to
over $185,000 in 1977. Personal property
on file as stolen amounted to over
$97,000.
Compared to other college security
systems around the state. MSU, for in-
stance, has a special unit of full-fledged
private police officers on campus, and
Wayne State University has a branch of
the Detroit police force devoting full-
time attention to crimes on campus. In
light of these systems, the University's
is often criticized as inefficient and un-
wieldy.
BUT FOR NOW, there are no plans
for change.
"We're a little bit bigger than Carter
Country, but not quite the scale of Bar-
ney Miller," explainedDavids.
"But we get the job done," he added.
break
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