But others worry that students do make meaning out of the festivity--which might transmit and perpetuate dangerous stereotypes.

Mohamad M. Al-Ississ '99, president of the Harvard-Radcliff Society of Arab Students, says he thinks last month's "Saharan Nights" meal--featuring imported sand, palm trees, "oasis" tapas bars and fake snakes--was a little over the top.

"The food was good. But I think the name is a bit too much. We shouldn't push the already existing stereotypes," he says. "With swords all over the place, they're creating the imaginary fantasy of 1,001 Nights. How much of that is true?"

Fantasy, he warns, can sometimes obscure the subtle contested social dimensions of food.

"Food can be very politicized in the Middle East...especially when you have various foods being called 'Israeli,'" Allssiss says.

"It's nice to have the fantasy, but they should be careful about what they present," he says.

Oatmeal and Bread

HDS officials say they recognize the inherent problems with any kind of cultural presentation.

"That's a tough one in the age of P.C. and one we struggle with," says Ted A. Mayer, HDS director. "There are certain things that we don't do well, and they don't necessarily meet the original standard."

For example, some of HDS' employees--many themselves Portuguese--perpetually disagree about the appropriate ingredients to a Portuguese Kale soup. Similar concerns emerge when planning an entire Festive Meal.

"I don't know. How do you deal with that?" Mayer asks. "Not do anything? You take a chance."

Crista Martin, HDS publications and communications coordinator, says it's important to experiment.

"I'd hate to see us not do the meals for fear of offending someone. We try very hard not to do something upsetting or controversial," Martin says.

Professor Watson agrees.

"If they don't try to diversify the food, what are they going to give people? Oatmeal and bread? That's problematic too," he says. "They have to run an institution and feed people. If administrators start worrying about every permutation to diversity, things collapse."