ISU Dining was up for discussion at Thursday’s Inter-Residence Hall Associations’ meeting.

One of the topics discussed was the possible privatization of ISU Dining.

“The question on the table is efficiency. Are we as efficient as we can be?” asked Jon Lewis, director of ISU Dining Services. “It’s about efficiency and money.”

Lewis said the process would be something he would not be in favor of.

Privatization would entail “totally moving a department from the university to private corporation,” he said. “Is it something I want to do? Absolutely not.”

Lewis said he was unsure of how the process would be undertaken.

“It’s hard to say; the company would be using university resources — physical resources — to provide the same services,” he said.

Various other issues were discussed, including concerns about meal plans, sack lunches, crowded conditions in the Union Drive Community Center and lighting problems in the Maple-Willow-Larch dining facility.

Julie Collins, sophomore in animal science and president of Oak-Elm, said the residents of Oak-Elm do not like eating in the facility because it is dark.

“We need better lighting in MWL,” she said. Lewis said the problem was not something that could be easily remedied.

“It is hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix that problem,” he said. “We inherited it; it has been there for 30 or 40 years.”

Getting residence hall students involved with the 10,000 Hours Show, a campus organization encouraging students to volunteer, was also discussed at the meeting.

“It’s really an opportunity here in Ames to get students involved with the community,” said Cory Simon, junior in computer engineering. “It gets people involved and rewards them for it.”