We, as members of the New School community, request approval from the administration to cook on campus as part of the growing Slow Food on Campus chapter initiative. We understand there are liability issues regarding access to kitchen facilities, but there is no clear understanding why the use of hot plates in the Lang Cafe are prohibited. The school has held cooking classes before in the Lang Cafe with hotplates and hotplates are available at Williams Street dorms for students to use in their suites. What makes the Lang Cafe any different? Why does this raise so much concern? Who dictates this decision and how can students and faculty be involved in the decision making process? The purpose of Slow Food on Campus is to engage the school community in a more direct and communal relationship with food, understanding where our food comes from and what food is both healthy for us and the planet. We recognize the erratic nature of the college lifestyle that often leads to eating on-the-go or buying food for its price or convenience, so we hope these community meals will represent an intentional pause in the days from their studies to enjoy a meal together. Meals will be themed, with a topic related to sustainable food: it's about having that conversation -- which has in fact already been going on in different divisions and groups of the school -- about the complexity of food. This is also about actually doing something to participate in the food movement. We as the New School community can start by having the opportunity to engage directly with food by cooking and sharing a meal on campus. Our first meal is coming up on Tuesday Feb 12th (Mardi Gras) in the Lang Cafe. Please sign on to this petition so that we may convince the New School administration to let us cook on campus in time for this meal! Slow Food on campus is already growing beyond the Lang environmental groups - our mailing list and membership has reached over 100 people. We are gaining attention and support from across the University, from students, faculty, and members of the administration. If we could come together to both cook and eat together on campus, these meals would be a fantastic opportunity to display how we thrive as a solid community with a sense of place as part of an academic institution, of a greater food movement, and of New York City. Please help us make this possible. xx