Re: Dartmouth Dining implements changes, time limit on Green2Go
An interview between The Dartmouth and Dartmouth Dining director Jon Plodzik discussed numerous frustrations with Green2Go policies and used confusing logic to justify recent policy changes.
When asked about the 15-minute Green2Go time limit for collecting food, Plodzik explained that the policy prevents students from taking excess food, citing that Dartmouth Dining “doesn’t have unlimited resources.” This point confuses me. If a student on the Ivy Unlimited Plan chooses to use Green2Go at The Class of 1953 Commons, they cannot swipe back in during that meal period, whereas if a student opts to swipe in regularly, they can perform this action an unlimited amount of times for any given meal period. What prevents a student from swiping in multiple times and eating multiple meals when using Green2Go?
Green2Go also limits students to one piece of fruit or dessert when dining out. But when dining in, students can take full advantage of the all-you-can-eat buffet style of ’53 Commons by having an extra piece of fruit or dessert. These actions are labeled as “taking excess food” in the context of Green2Go, but are permissible if a student chooses to dine in. The logic doesn’t make sense, as an identical strain is placed on Dartmouth Dining’s resources regardless of whether a student eats in or uses Green2Go.
Especially for first-year students who are required to have the Ivy Unlimited Plan — which costs nearly $2,500 per term — these are unnecessarily strict and illogical restrictions. Students should not be policed on what they can take out of the dining hall or how many times they can use their Green2Go in one meal period.
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