University of Rhode Island - Renaissance / Grist Yearbook (Kingston, RI)

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▲Plastic forks and paper plates a special Thanksgiving dinner in the lounge at Merrow Hall. -4Down-the-liners trudge through the snow to pick up a few items necessary to make it through the day. Different Life Styles 19

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A never ending complaint heard around GRI is one concerning the state of food on campus. Just as CIRI offers many different lifestyles, it of- fers many different eating facilities. Obviously the most frequented places to eat on campus are the din- ing halls. These institutions are also the most criticized. As freshman Julie Wojnowski states, “It’s generic. They buy the food at the beginning of the month and freeze it ’til the next shipment.’’ Unfortunately, there is only so much anyone can do with such large quantities of food. So when things start looking really bleak it is always comforting to know that the Ram’s Den and DelMor’s are waiting not too far off. The students who live in the fraternities and sororities have a more positive attitude toward their meals than do those in the dorms. “It’s good because you know the cook well and you see the food that comes in. There’s also a better selec- tion and you eat right in the houses. Of course you have to do the dishes, but that’s a small price to pay,” says Guy LaSorsa from Fiji. All frater- nities are equipped with their own kitchen and dining room, however not all sororities are. The girls who live in the sororities without these facilities dine at the fraternity of their choice. For breakfast and lunch they must find food elsewhere, but they do not find this to be too much of an inconvenience. So when things start looking bleak it is always comforting to know that the Ram’s Den and Delmor’s are waiting not too far away. Many of the inconveniences of finding food lie with the down-the- liners. “The food is better because you cook it yourself. Of course there is less time for grocery shopping so a lot of the time you open the frigerator and find that all you have is eggs and brocolli.” Down-the-line housemates Lynn Bramandee and Melanie Lawless explain that there are different ways to cope with their food budget. “You end up eating at the Ram’s Den a lot and the more you eat out the less you pay for food at home, so it all equals out.” And of course there are the com- muters who can go home to Mom’s good cooking every night. Accord- ing to Phil Canaan, “It’s really not that great. You don’t ever appreciate something good until you haven’t had it in a while.” Through all the complaints most everyone will agree that they all manage to eat every day. Any freshman plagued with the “freshman fifteen,” or the fifteen pounds that every student supposed- ly gains in his first year, will be able to prove that it is possible to eat even more than one’s share . . . GRI offers many eating facilities as well as numerous candy and soda machines. So whether candy bars, pizza, salads, or yogurt are craved, it can be assured that they are not too faraway, yffim Karen Canaan 18 Different Life Styles

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Students Won’t Allow Handicap to Get in the Way ABecky Strycharz participates at the Valentine ' s Day party sponsored by Little Brother Little Sister. AHandicapped Awareness Week offered the cam pus different opportunities to experience first-hand some of the problems students encounter, by spen- ding a day in a wheelchair. Trapped in the mud. Unable to leave the dormitories during incle- ment weather. Going uphill to your classes. These may not sound like major difficulties to the average stu- dent or faculty member at URI, but to those who are handicapped, these situations are definite problems. Jane Thierfield, coordinator of ser- vices for students, faculty, and staff who are handicapped, says that ac- cessibility is a big problem. Her job includes helping handicapped students settle into their dormitories, assisting in scheduling of classes to aid in convenience, and making sure that the University complies with Federal Law 504, a new law for handicapped people. Jack McKen- na, a quadraplegic who attended URI for a semester but then withdrew because of various difficulties, related his feelings on Miss Thier- field. “Jane sets up everything for us; she arranges for us to have classes and coordinates them. She deserves a medal in my opinion. I also think she deserves a bigger of- fice.” Theirfield’s present closet- sized office is located on the third floor of the Memorial Union, in the student life department. Many of the tribulations that han- dicapped students face each day would not even be considered by the average student, unless he was placed in the same situation. Students on campus did exactly that this year during Handicapped Awareness Week, a program de- signed to acquaint the campus with the problems faced by handicapped students. It involved direct participa- tion, such as trying to maneuver in a wheelchair for a full day. McKenna operates a powered wheelchair around the campus. When asked about snowstorms, he says, “1 still slide when there’s ice on the ground, and they only plow one or two paths, and I have to search for those.” In general though, “I find the University pretty decent (as far as accessibility). There are better and worse places than this,” con- cludes McKenna. 20 Handicap