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A couple months ago, a friend of my mom’s sent all of us soon-to-be graduates an e-mail with the top 10 things you must do in Madison before you graduate. One of them: Go sledding on trays down the hill by Liz Waters.
I can’t say I ever did this — not for any particular reason — but I kind of wish I did. It’s a Madison tradition, and the idea of removing trays from university cafeterias would end that very tradition that brings so much joy and stress relief to many University of Wisconsin students.
What next, Sam? Stop all evening football games to save the energy it takes for all the lights to remain lit? Get rid of those cardboard sleeves that surround the cup of tea you bring into work every day so you can save trees but burn your hands?
Don’t get me wrong — I’m all for going green. Energy-efficient light bulbs sound great. And a week or two ago, I bought one of those green mugs at the Union in an effort to use fewer plastic cups — and save a little money in the process. There are lots of little things we can do on a daily basis to help keep this planet a better, greener place.
But you can’t jeopardize feasibility in the process. In his usual overly-dramatic snarky fashion, Sam equates the problem of carrying all your food that you put on a tray to the Nazis in Germany during World War II. (Really!?!) But come on, get real. You pick up your sandwich, your fries or bag of chips, your soft drink and if you’re feeling really adventurous, one of those delicious cupcakes. You need a place to put them. You put them on a tray.
Game. Set. Match.
Trays are recyclable. You put it on top of the trash can when you’re done eating, it gets wiped off, it gets used again. Seems pretty efficient to me.
And if Sam had — for once — done any research before spewing out garbage while on his high-and-mighty mountaintop, he would have read today’s news article by Taylor Cox.
“It’s been discussed certainly, but in our situation where we operate a la carte as opposed to a meal plan or all you can eat situation, we have not considered going that route at least as of now,” UW Food Service Manager Brian Burke said.
So, in other words, it’s not happening.
Trays made of recyclable products were apparently attempted at Liz Waters, but some people whined about it. Without trays, wouldn’t more people drop their food and thus create more headaches for cleaning staff?
But anything that can be done to help reduce waste while at the same time allowing people to carry their food in an efficient manner sounds fine and dandy. Maybe smaller trays would work better in the future?
At any rate, I don’t want letters saying I hate the environment. I love it. It’s great. Let’s save it. But let’s keep the whole tray situation the way it is.
Tom Schalmo ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in journalism.
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First let me start by saying that if people don’t have trays they will spill their food will make more of a mess is not only a large generalization and underestimation of the UW students but also is a complete fallacy (slippery slope in case you were wondering which. Secondly, there were many problems with the introduction of the new recyclable trays at Elizabeth Waters. The Dining Hall threw aways perfectly good old trays in order to replace them with “earth-friendly” trays. Part of being earth friendly is not throwing away unnecessarily. Not to mention that if the trays were left out anywhere for students to take they would have been gone. If old earth-earthing hating products are going to be replaced with earth-friendly products than the quality needs to be comparable. Flimsy trays that leave consumers prone to spilling are not of comparable functionality nor quality. So the “whining” was not only understandable in this case but showed culinary services that these methods of going green were faulty and more efficient, productive methods need to be used.
Third - i will acknowledge that trays are a very functional part of the dining hall experience. but at the present time the users of these trays are not experiencing the cost of them. the dining halls bares the brunt of cleaning and labor and to even assert that they bare the oppertunity cost of that water is far-fetched at best. if students “need” to use these amazing plastic wonders that they also “need” to bare the cost - some sort of monetary tax added on to bills would not only make consumers aware of their tray use but would make them reconsider how frequently and how costly these trays are being used. For people who opt out of trays, dishes could be placed in the tubs, which then can be transported to the dishroom to be washed. While we do not have to eliminate them altogether I think this would be a compromise that would please many opinions.
On a side note of sledding. Yes, traying is a appreciated and celebrated tradition here at UW Madison. While swiping trays has its legacy, tradidtion does not dictate life forever. If trays were to be eliminate that would only create an oppertunity for a new tradtion. The creative genuis at UW should not be disregarded. Students are innovaters of practices, thought and tradition. If the use of the tray is eliminated then something might take its place or a new tradition may be started. The end of one the tray tradition may bring oppertunity for a new tradition.
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*Please excuse the previous submission. The following is a revised version, and can be considered a replacement. First let me start by saying that it is a generalization and an underestimation of UW students to assume that we will spill our food without trays. Not to mention, that claim is fallacious. Secondly, there were many problems with the introduction of the new recyclable trays at Elizabeth Waters. The dining hall threw always perfectly useable trays in order to replace them with “earth-friendly” trays. Part of being earth friendly is reducing unnecessary waste. Students could have found a good use for the discarded trays if only they had been made available, instead of being thrown away. Alternately, new trays could have been phased in gradually as old trays became unusable. But since we did get new trays, they should at least be of comparable quality. These flimsy trays, which leave consumers prone to spillage, are comparable neither in function nor quality. In this case, the “whining” showed culinary services that their methods of going green were faulty at best. We need to use more efficient, productive methods. ? Third�I will acknowledge that trays are useful tools in the dining hall. However, the current users of these trays are not experiencing any of the corresponding costs. It costs resources to make the trays. It costs money to buy the trays. It costs water and labor to clean the trays. If students “need” to use these amazing plastic wonders, then they also need to share the cost. A small charge added onto the bill would not only make consumers aware of their tray use but it would force them reconsider how necessary (or unnecessary) it is to use these costly trays. Cleaning would not be complicated by reduction of tray use: dishes could be placed in the tubs, which then can be transported to the dish room to be washed. While we do not have to eliminate trays altogether, I think this would be an acceptable compromise. To address the side note of sledding: Yes, traying is an appreciated and celebrated tradition here at UW Madison. While swiping trays has its legacy, tradition doesn�t exclude change. Eliminating trays would only create an opportunity to create a new tradition. The creative genius at UW should not be disregarded. Students are innovators of practices, thought, and tradition. If tray use is eliminated then something else would undoubtedly take its place and a new tradition would be started.
Kristen Carpenter Annie Johnston