Since the beginning of Harvard, when the first University Master, Nathaniel Eaton, and his wife were run out of Cambridge for serving rotten food to cut costs, Harvard's dining system has been the object of derision and scorn.

Recently, though, Harvard students have been taking one aspect of the dining hall system more seriously. As more and more schools convert to and utilize the advantages of variable meal plans, transferable credits and point systems, Harvard's mandatory 21-meal board contract has become a frequent topic of dinner discussion.

In the days of magnetic-taped, computer-linked meal cards that identify you and the number of meals you have eaten within seconds, the Harvard institution of house checkers who know their house's residents intimately seem anachronistic.

Brown, the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia and Princeton have computerized their dining services so that students can eat what and when they choose.

Not All the Food is BROWN

Four board contracts are available at Brown, at either 20, 14, 10 or 7 meals per week. Freshmen are required to choose one of the college plans, but upperclassmen--whether they opt to join a co-op, live in an apartment or stay in university housing--can also opt to fend for themselves. Kathy Payne, administrative dietician for Brown University Food Service, estimates that about 4000 Brown students have a board contract which entitles them to eat in either of two all-campus dining halls.

In addition, students on the meal plan can choose to transfer meal credits to one of the three campus snack bars that operate late into the night. Students that miss one of their meals can obtain a credit of $2.70 and computerized cards help insure that no one cheats the system.

Brown students can "go for credit" at a grill, health food shop or a pizza/deli store, all with wide selections. "It's funny because when I do nutrition counseling with students, they always mention midnight meals from one of the snack bars," Payne says.

In the normal dining halls, food can be just as exotic. Special dinners occur at least once a month and once the Food Services gave a lobster/clambake. "There are a great number of restaurants around here," Payne says. "We'd be out of business if we weren't competitive."

PENN Prerogatives

At Penn, there are three choices for meal plans--15, 10 or 5, none of which include weekend meals. Only students living on campus are required to buy a meal plan, although the off-campus students can get the five-lunch per week meal plan.

The Dining Service operates five main dining halls plus Training House, used exclusively to serve dinner to athletes with afternoon practices. An added bonus is the nearby Penn Towers Hilton which allows Penn students $10 credit towards a meal in the hotel's fancy restaurant each semester.

The school has also just opened a snack bar that allows a $2.50 credit towards same-day purchase if you skip a meal.

Lunch in the dining halls daily includes either a deli line--made-to-order sandwiches from cold cuts or lox and bagels--or a hot line that makes burgers and offers other entrees. Another daily feature is an ice cream bar with four or five different flavors and toppings. If you want to find out what's being served, you can dial a "Menu Phone" with a recorded massage of each day's offerings.

COLUMBIA Cuisine, Plebian at PRINCETON