Compiled by Mikelyn Britt, Opinions Editor
Meal Exchange
The Bullet Hole is one of the few dining areas on campus, yet it remains inaccessible to a group of students. First years are required to buy the USA plan with unlimited meals, which sounds like a great deal until you consider the fact that these meals are only redeemable at Servo. Servo’s hours are less than ideal, closing at 7:30 p.m. every day. If a first-year gets hungry after the scheduled meal times, their only option for food is Bullet Hole. The problem with the meal plan for first-years is that you are only allotted $75 in dining dollars total over the course of a semester, redeemable at Bullet, the Commons and the Dive. With an average meal costing about $10, you can expect about seven to eight meals outside of the horribly early 7:30 close. Students that work or even have a class or lab will need to spend their own money to subsidize the meal plan they are forced to pay for. Allowing first-year students to get dinner at Bullet Hole instead of only Servo could circumvent this issue, and allow more students to get the meals they actually need when they need them.
– Trevor Hobler ’26
Lack of Options
The vegetarian options here have definitely declined since COVID-19. I remember having a much better selection freshman year, but last year there were times the only things I could eat in servo were steamed vegetables and rice. This year has improved slightly—I can always find carbs and vegetables, but as someone who is starting to get into weight-lifting, it’s difficult to get enough protein. During weekday lunches, I can always get a Beyond burger, but dinners and weekends are challenging. Weekends in particular can be difficult to find food, and there were a couple of times I could only find chickpeas and rice. I’m hoping that as supplies become more available after the pandemic, options will begin to open up again, but the school needs to prioritize vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. Students with dietary restrictions that rely on meal plans need to have better options, especially for protein. I sometimes have to supplement my servo meals with more food from my apartment, which shouldn’t have to happen.
– Sabrina Robinette ’23
It’s on You, Bob
Gettysburg College consistently ranks in the country’s most LGBTQ-unfriendly colleges (#20!). A Gettysburgian article noted that this is not because of a lack of LGBTQ resources on campus; though they must be expanded, the GSRC, Q House, and LGBTQIA+ LIFE are the epitome of “doing great work.” Instead, Gettysburg’s homophobia and transphobia fester because the administration refuses to limit hate speech. Freedom of expression is a pillar of liberal arts; we learn by embracing difference. But there is a limit to acceptable discourse, according to Gettysburg College’s official “Freedom of Expression Philosophy”: “the College may seek to restrict expression that: 1) violates state or federal law; 2) constitutes slander, threats, or harassment; 3) unreasonably invades individual privacy or violates confidentiality interests; or, 4) is directly incompatible with the functioning of the College.” Transphobia and homophobia are harassment; speech about students’ transitions invades their privacy; denigrating students is incompatible with the College’s mission to foster a safe learning environment. Hate speech endangers students. Yet the administration refuses to enforce its own rules. What happens when a club uses their platform to incite violence against a group of students? How would the administration treat a club request to host neonazis or white supremacists on campus? There must be a line between free speech and hate speech. It’s on you, Bob.
– Carter Hanson ’23
The Value of Print
Recently, a big portion of my life on campus has been connecting with different groups as I have worked to develop a newsletter related to women, gender, and sexuality (WGS) groups and topics on campus. I have been a major in the WGS department for a year now, but have been spending a lot more time on the fourth floor of Weidensall. The community I have reached out to so far in starting the newsletter has been so supportive, and I have met staff and students and deepened my relationships with those I already have. Despite the work of planning meetings and running around campus to put up posters, I have found it incredibly rewarding to provide another resource for people interested in WGS from an academic or social standpoint to access the information in one central place. It has also been amazing to see the people I have collaborated with see the finished product—a physical newsletter. For me, there’s something so special about printing. While social media posts and websites are truly wonderful resources to share information, there is something special about printed copies spreading the word physically on campus, instead of just online.
-Sydney Dyer ’25
This article originally appeared on page 4 of the March 2023 edition of The Gettysburgian’s magazine.
