Missing in Action

Thousands of Items Missing from the Dining Hall

Since the beginning of the semester, the dining hall in the University Center has lost thousands of plates, bowls, cups and silverware due to the items being taken out of the dining area.

Staff members in the cafeteria have noted a significant decrease of chinaware after the first floor on the University Center became the University’s main dining hall. The large volume that has disappeared in a short amount of time has come to a surprise to many.

“Since school began in August, we have gone through 700 or 800 dinner plates,” said Matt Chaloux, director of auxiliary services. “We have gone through 600 plastic glass tumblers. We have gone through several hundred snack plates. We haven’t even bothered counting silverware.”

As new orders come in to replace the chinaware, staff members have found many of the non-disposable items thrown into trash cans. Students are required to return all chinaware to the tray return station to be cleaned and reused.

“The plates, bowls and silverware in the dining hall are not disposable,” said Chaloux. “They’re not meant to leave the first floor of the University Center. If you want to take back something to your room or upstairs, use the to-go container for that purpose.”

For a one-time payment of $5, students can utilize reusable green containers that can be refilled with more food to take out of the dining hall. When returning a used to-go container, students may ask for a clean container. Students that reside on campus may find this service beneficial for storing food for later consumption.

“Our housekeeping staff has been picking stuff out of the hallways,” said Chaloux. “I have picked up plates, cups and bowls outside on the main sidewalk. We are finding them everywhere, but we are not finding enough to replace the huge number [of missing items].”

All students are highly encouraged to participate in the dining hall’s sustainable practices and return non-disposable chinaware to the tray return.

 

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