Tonight, as I took a bite of my grilled cheese at South Dining Hall, I witnessed a dining hall monitor reprimanding a young woman for attempting to wrap up several pieces of bread to take with her after finishing her meal. After the young woman apologized to the monitor and promised she wouldn't take the food with her, the monitor continued to watch her for the rest of her dinner. Then, instead of taking the bread with her, the woman was forced to throw it away.
For a university so focused on sustainability, this seems like the wrong approach to take. Clearly the woman was going to eat the food eventually, and since it was only about 5:30 p.m. when this took place, it seems likely it would be consumed later on as a snack. Call me crazy, but wouldn't it be better for someone to eat the food than for it to be thrown away? I understand that the dining halls have a "eat all you want while here, but only take one item with you" policy, but maybe this should be re-examined. After all, we are paying a large amount of money for 14 meals a week, regardless of how many meals we actually use. Most people I know use only 11 or 12 of those meals.
Students should not be made to feel like criminals for desiring a late night snack. As students, we are often up late studying and get hungry. I would like to see a more relaxed attitude toward bringing food out of the dining halls. As it stands now, I fear backpack checks and strip searches are right around the corner.
Samantha Grissom
senior
Pangborn Hall
Sept. 14
