EVERY DAY across Grounds, thousands of students obtain nourishment and fulfillment in the dining halls. These establishments provide convenient, usually tasty meals as well as a comfortable setting for conversation, meetings and the like. The staff in the dining halls works tirelessly to efficiently provide meals in a clean venue. Unfortunately, students frequently take advantage of the situation, leaving trash strewn about the dining halls and often treating the workers in a disrespectful manner. As students at the University of Virginia, this is simply unacceptable; for the guilty lot out there, clean up after yourself and remember the manners you learned back in elementary school.
A recent tour of Newcomb Dining Hall at the peak lunch hour revealed a sad state of affairs. The majority of empty tables had a mish-mash of abandoned napkins, cutlery, cups, plates, newspapers and other accessories associated with a meal. Some tables even had forgotten trays piled with leftovers -- as ridiculous as it may sound. In addition, the floor was speckled with forks, knives, napkins, etc. No one can expect an immaculate dining hall: People do drop things, do forget about things on tables, but the condition of Newcomb Dining Hall on an average weekday is shameful.
The worst thing about the trash is that everyone has seemingly just grown used to the problem. I spoke to one dining hall employee clearing off tables, who said he noticed an apathetic attitude among students all the time. Asked if it was rare to find whole trays left behind, he said no, that it occurs on a regular basis. The employee alluded that the trash problem doesn't anger the dining hall staff so much as it disappoints them.
The solution to the trash problem is simple: Clean up after yourself. Newcomb Dining Hall has no fewer than five recycling bins for newspapers, and each bin has a trash can beside it for used napkins or anything else. If you sit down at a table where there is already trash on the table, pick it up with yours when you go. Trash left behind by the previous occupants of your table is not coated with smallpox -- you can touch it; it won't hurt. You won't get a medal, but you'll be a better person for it.
If that doesn't work, just pretend every time you eat a meal in a dining hall your mother will swoop in right when you're about to leave to inspect your table.
A recent vivid example of the disrespectful attitude towards dining hall staff unfolded before my eyes a couple weeks ago. A staff member just finished wiping down the area around the milk dispenser when a girl spilled an entire glassful of milk on the newly-cleaned surface. Rather than apologize or offer to help clean up the mess with the soap and water next to her, she simply walked away.
Obviously, this isn't reflective of everyone and may be an extreme example. However, dining hall staff are not maids and janitors standing idly by waiting to cleanup after the students of the University, so don't treat them that way.
Simple manners can go a long way in the dining halls. "Please" and "thanks" should not be taboo words and the staff do appreciate when you use them. If you drop your food or drink, maybe cleaning it up isn't practical, but at least own up to what you did or grab a staff member to help. Truth be told, some staff members in the dining halls might not want to be working there, but they still do their job as best they can and usually with a smile. This is not a "moral high ground" column, but without the dining halls, many a student would either go hungry or gain weight eating cookies for dinner. So bus your tray, recycle your newspaper, thank your server and everyone will live happily ever after.
(Joe Schilling's column usually appears Tuesday in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at jschilling@cavalierdaily.com.)
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