The first thing I would like to address is that the Zahm Hall Staff works hard to make sure all 240 of its residents feel a part of the community. However, the intent of my article is to clarify a few of the inaccurate assumptions made by Ian MacKay ("Zahm Hall more than just a building") in the Dec. 1 edition of The Observer.
MacKay states, "TACH (There Are Children Here) is no longer running so the Foodsales money stays in the dorm and finances are up." Although it is true that proceeds are no longer being sent to TACH, it is wrong to assume that profits are staying in the dorm. After the Zahm Hall staff sadly discovered that TACH would no longer be running, we believed that it was most beneficial to send the proceeds to Coach Weis' charity Hannah and Friends. In fact, Zahm has several projects in the works for next semester to increase its donations to Hannah and Friends.
The second point I would like to correct is MacKay's need to remind us that "Zahm is a place for students to live and not a business." Three to four years ago, Foodsales was nearly 1,000 dollars in debt to its vendors and was unable to benefit any charities, including TACH. Thanks to the tireless work made by the Foodsales managers and several others, Zahm Foodsales has nearly tripled its profits since the end of its first year and now has the ability to make significant contributions.
Better fact-finding through direct discussions with people who actually know about Zahm's policies and programs will prevent such overly broad and unfounded assertions in the future.
Dan Tapetillo
Residential Assistant
Zahm Hall
Dec. 4
