All that I can add to this conversation is that since I left my DS off in July is that the few conversations that we have had (whether it be by phone or via facebook) his only consistent negative comment is "Mom I am so hungry" there is not enough food - he is living off salad bar and fruit. Myself and relatives have sent boxes of food (before we knew he could not have it) then sent the required "energy bars" none of which he has received yet. What bothers me is that we are spending a small fortune mailing him what we think he can have based on the rules posted via the website, yet he is not receiving any of it. I know "who is in charge" here, but its just another distraction to him making it through this initial process if he is hungry all of the time. He loves the academy and everything about it - but the "food deal" is really a killer he says over and over. Wish the powers that be could figure this out a little better - with this many parents getting the same message over and over, it seems that someone could remedy the situation - like possibly changing vendors, or at least allowing the plebes to receive what has been personally mailed to them based on the rules the school has set.
theres something wrong with this statement. not saying its outright incorrect, or is in any way falsified, but perhaps there's a miscommunication somewhere. there is absolutely NO reason why he shouldnt be getting his care packages. its after Indoc, the regiment no longer has any say in what mail gets to the P/Cs whatsoever. that, like in the civilian world, is again considered mail fraud. now, if he's getting the packages, and then theyre getting confiscated, thats a different story. food that isnt on the CURRENT approved list, i.e. contraband, can be confiscated if found during a health and wellness inspection. however, for that to happen, your P/C would need to have it in his possession. so, if he isnt getting his packages at all, there is something wrong with the mailroom, whatever agency youre sending them with, somewhere in that system. i would suggest checking over the method youre using to send the packages, and have your P/C check his box number again. if confiscation is the issue, ask your P/C to provide you with the (very liberal) current list of approved foods.
as for the root of the issue, a lack of food... i really dont know what to tell you. perhaps the plebes, for some very odd reason, are experiencing different things than the rest of the regiment. i can tell you as a certainty that i have not seen Delano "run out" of food once this year (happened last year a few times, almost caused some revolts). i tend to go to breakfast and dinner near the end of the allotted meal time in order to avoid the lines. ive never gotten to the counter and have them say, sorry, no more. so if im getting food after the P/Cs... theyre getting food too. same thing with lunch- my table gets seconds of food almost every day. theyre readily available, save occasions like the day before a break, when they cook approximately 2/3rds of a chicken wing per person (remember the revolts i mentioned?)
. there's absolutely no reason that any P/C should not be getting a proper serving of food. so i dont think thats the problem.
here's my take on the issue, remembering my own position this time last year. the P/Cs are most likely hungry because they are living a much more active lifestyle than the majority of them are used to. i dont care how athletic or in shape they were before they came here. the simple effort of running to and from class (and for that matter, everywhere) burns alot of calories. add to that the long days, busy schedule, and stress, and you have a pretty good recipe for hunger
i believe the fact of the matter, which is pretty much confirmed by my own memories of plebe year, is that it doesnt matter how much you eat at breakfast or lunch, by 3rd period and then again by 6th period youre going to be hungry. thats when the food on the approved list, which as i have said is really quite liberal this year, comes in handy. frankly, even food that isnt approved can be retained through a few "creative" methods that the P/Cs will quickly figure out.
at the end of the day, hunger is like one of the many other issues at KP: its something that is talked about, lamented and debated ad nauseum, but is really something plebes/midshipmen need to learn to deal with on their own. and guess what? we do. as soon as i learn about someone starving to death here, i'll let y'all know. but in my limited recolletion, hasnt happened yet.