Dinner with a view
Alliot peppers up its entrees with Plasma-screen televisions

Maura Bannon |staff writer
mbannon@smcvt.edu

Something has changed about the St. Michael’s College cafeteria and it has nothing to do with the food.  The Student Association (S.A.), with help from Residence Life, has rented five big-screen plasma televisions and has placed them in Alliot during the month of October.

Plasma in the recipe

“The TVs are a great way for students to get caught up on their current events,” S.A. President Alex Monahan says. 

St. Michael's students watch TV in Alliot. Alex McIntire, photo

The main reason for the four 50-inch TVs and the one 48-inch TV is for students to be able to have access to news channels and educational programs, Monahan says.  

The idea for the TVs in Alliot, all rented from the Rent-a-Center in Burlington, was formulated during the presidential inauguration of John Neuhauser, Monahan says.  

The S.A. used the TVs during the event and decided they would be a good way to make Alliot more enjoyable temporarily, Monahan says. 

“It’s also nice to have the TVs to watch the baseball playoffs,” he says. 

Monahan says there aren’t many drawbacks to the TVs. 

“The only disadvantages of the TVs are if the students keep changing the channels to un-educational programs,” Monahan says.  

He says that it is not possible for the school to monitor what channels remain on the televisions and there is no way to lock certain channels.

Media overload

For some students, it’s not just the choice of program, but the presence of television that causes a problem, sophomore Kathy Ward says. The TVs take away from quality time with friends, she says. 

The TVs allow students to watch the news and sports game updates. Alex McIntire, photo

“I come to Alliot to eat, relax and socialize," Ward says. "Media influences are everywhere in my life, and I don’t need television when I’m trying to get away from all of that. "I can watch TV when I’m in my room.  It’s not necessary in the cafeteria.”

Sophomore Kyle Campbell says: “I think the money could have been used for better things. We don’t need TVs in the cafeteria.”           
The TVs initial rental cost was $600 and the money came from the St. Michael’s programming budget, Monahan says. 

Junior Heath Down says he isn't fond of the televisions either.  

“I think they let people sit brainlessly while they eat their food,” he says. 

Others say they think the new addition in the cafeteria has a positive impact.  Junior Ashleigh McCrory enjoys the TVs. 

“I think it's neat being able to watch the sports events that are going on right now,” she says.