Members of the Graduate Student Council (GSC) revisited the issue of EVGR graduate housing triples — introduced in 2022-2023 as a more affordable housing option — debating whether to continue the program and how best to communicate with affected students at a Monday meeting. 

The GSC also addressed concerns over plastic contamination in dining hall food, following a recent report that found higher levels of plastic chemicals relative to other foods sampled across the Bay Area. 

Council member Jessica Yauney, a first-year computer science Ph.D. student, said that past surveys conducted with housing administrators on the EVGR triples have produced largely negative feedback. Yauney highlighted negative reviews and low demand for housing triples, with only nine students looking to renew their assignments in the next school year. 

GSC co-chair Emmit Pert, a fourth-year chemistry Ph.D. student, said that “students do prioritize affordable housing, but they’re willing to tolerate a bit of extra cost for convenience,” and that triples should be discontinued. 

While most of the council echoed Pert’s position, Yauney recommended that no final decision be made until after the housing lottery has been completed. 

Fourth-year symbolic systems Ph.D. student Xi Jia Zhou raised concerns about plastic contamination in dining hall food, referencing a sign in dining halls from Stanford Dining, Hospitality & Auxiliaries during Family Weekend that addressed the recent report. “Current scientific evidence does not demonstrate that levels of micro plastics or nano plastics detected in foods pose a risk to human health,” the sign read. 

“The sign placed at the dining hall [said] plastic is not a big deal, but I don’t think this should be minimized,” Zhou said. “I know a lot of students, like those with [polycystic ovary syndrome], are struggling with this.” Students with polycystic ovary syndrome have to be especially careful with their diet, including possible exposure to microplastics, as their bodies often don’t use insulin effectively. 

Eric Montell, Executive Director for R&DE, responded with strong criticism of The Stanford Daily’s reporting on the issue, saying The Daily “did an incredible disservice to students and others in their reporting methodology about this subject.”

Montell said that plastic chemicals are found throughout the food supply chain due to fertilizers and agricultural practices, adding that Stanford’s dining system was no exception. He also refuted claims that Stanford’s dining halls contained unusually high levels of plastic contamination compared to other food sources.  

“The Daily presented it as if the dining halls have more plastic than everywhere else,” he said. “As if suddenly there was a new process that was introducing plastic foods. It creates a lot of concern that the dining hall is not safe. That is simply not the case.”

The Daily’s reporting focused on a December report by PlasticList which found that Stanford’s beans, chicken, rice and cauliflower contained above-average amounts of certain plastic chemicals. In particular, the report found that dining hall foods contained the most DEHA, a liquid used as a plasticizer in common materials, among over 300 foods sampled across the Bay Area.

PlasticList acknowledged that their findings were not conclusive, offering a disclaimer that “These results represent point-in-time results of a small number of product samples and may not be representative of actual product contents,” which The Daily previously cited.

The GSC then heard updates about EVGR Pub, a pub and beer garden located in EVGR that serves food and drinks, which is set to reopen on Mar. 6. 

Montell announced that the pub will initially open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and will serve food but not alcoholic beverages. Montell said that the pub will offer affordable pricing and a diverse selection of food options. 

David Ward, Assistant Vice Provost for Housing Operations and Stanford Conferences, then shared plans for an updated room reservation system which would address student concerns about limited campus space for meetings and events.  

“Challenges exist all over campus for space, so we are working on an analysis of all meeting spaces we have for students to reserve,” Ward said. “[The analysis] is high-level but also detailed to include features and amenities of the space [and] its capabilities.”  

Ward outlined potential improvements such as a digital signage system that would display real-time reservations and allow students to book rooms directly. The system is expected to begin pilot testing in the spring.