Sept. 3, 2004
Greensboro. NC
Taking food from the caf
Staff Editorial
A day in the life of a Guilford student can
be pretty packed. It's hard running
from one class to another, and there's little
time for good nutrition with a hectic schedule
of classes and meetings, and perhaps a few
labs and team practices. If you're really
unlucky you just might have a schedule that
gives you no time for lunch.
Your only hope is to run into the caf, grab a
quick bite to eat and flee. With a sandwich in
one hand and a drink in the other you attempt
to make your escape, only to be stopped at
the door.
"No food outside the caf!"
The caf decree against removing food might
seem sadistic and cruel to those poor stu
dents who are desperate for a brief meal. The
problem is not the rule, but the no-tolerance
enforcement of the rule.
This isn't to say the caf doesn't have valid
reasons for wanting stuff from the caf to
remain in the caf.
Consider the surface problems the caf deals
with:
First, it "mysteriously" loses a lot of flatware
(and we all know people with a caf spoon or
plate. They all swear they'll take it back but
they don't.). The no removal rule is a possible
method of curbing such losses: if the food's
not leaving, the utensils shouldn't be leaving,
either.
The caf also has to deal with hoarders. In
the past, for example, there have been times
when there has been nary a bagel to be
found. Why?
Not because everyone in the caf was carbo
loading that day, but because someone came
Pre-law Interest Meeting
Monday, September 6,3:30 p.m.
Duke 101
Questions?
Contact Prof. Lisa McLeod at x 2461.
FORUM
in and filled their backpack with bagels in
anticipation of those late-night munchies. At
times like these, the caf has to look out for the
good of the whole, not for those who want
their own snack-pile.
There's a simple solution to these problems:
no food can be removed from the cafeteria.
The only exceptions to the rule are for ice
cream cones and fruit.
Though the reasons previously mentioned
make a good case for no-tolerance enforce
ment of the rule, the primary reason for doing
so was told to us by a staff worker in the caf.
Supposedly, if J. Q. Student takes a baloney
sandwich to his room, puts this sandwich on
the radiator for a month then in a hunger fit
eats it only to find the meat has become a
rancid mass of stomach viruses, this student's
health becomes the cafs legal responsibility.
So the real problem is abuse of the previous
policy that let us take food out of the caf. If we
as students didn't abuse the benefits of the
caf (by hoarding food and pilfering flatware),
then perhaps the caf wouldn't need to take
such precautions
The caf, for its part, should address stu
dents' needs, and acknowledge that we don't
always have time to sit and have a lengthy
meal, even if it would be better for our diges
tion. A student heading to a class with a sand
wich in hand is not an evil. A student leaving
with a handful of bagels is clearly a nuisance.
This is a give-and-take situation: the caf
needs to trust the student body and the stu
dent body has to give the caf a reason to trust
us.
Then, maybe we can work on getting the
cafs hours changed.
Ghana Study Abroad
2004 Presentation:
The students who studied abroad at the
University of Cape Coast in Ghana will talk
about their experiences. All who are inter
ested in the program and/or hearing about
their experiences in Ghana are invited to
attend.
When: Thursday, September 9
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Where: Dana Lounge, Founders Hall
Ghana Program Applications
for Spring 2005:
Applications are now being accepted for the
Ghana Study Abroad Program for
2005. Application deadline is Friday, Sept.
17. Application materials (and information)
can be obtained from the Study Abroad
Office in Worth House (beside Dana
Auditorium) or from Deena Burris, Program
Coordinator (King 207-82, ext. 2221).
www.guilfordian.com
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