“Beverage to go . . . actually no.” Signs with this message on it can be seen all throughout Keene State College’s dining commons (DC). Apparently there is now a policy that students are no longer allowed to take beverages outside the DC. The signs say take a piece of fruit or a cookie but no drinks.
Usually students after eating in the DC, can be seen filling up their water bottle and head off to class. Now students are being told that they can no longer do this. Students may not take coffee, water, or any other beverage from the DC. The only places on campus that allow you to take drinks from are the Hoot ‘N’ Scoot, Lloyd’s, and the Bean & Bagel.
Most of us can’t understand why this is happening now. We’ve never been told that we couldn’t take drinks out of the DC. The workers there have watched us before as we filled our travel mugs with coffee. Now those workers can be seen watching the coffee area to see that students are not taking coffee with them to class. What’s the reason? It is not like the coffee is going to waste. It simply means we don’t have enough time to sit in the DC and enjoy a cup of coffee before going off to class.
A situation came up earlier in the week. There was a student who grabbed a sandwich from the DC and headed off to class right after. Well you can’t walk out of the DC with a sandwich in your hand or they make you throw it away. Talk about a waste. Just because people want to take their sandwich on the go, what is the harm in that?
Students have been talking about this all week. Every time they come out of the DC they are in an outrage at how ridiculous this rule is. Students all have a meal plan in order to eat at the DC. Students who have a 12 meal plan for example can’t eat three meals in the DC every day. So who cares if they decide to take a sandwich to eat in one of their classes? Students who have a 19 meal plan still can’t go to the DC three times every day of the week.
Another factor that may lead to students wanting to take out food and extra beverages is the DC hours. The DC closes at 7:30 p.m. Students who are up until midnight doing homework may need an extra pick-me-up around 10 or 11 p.m. in order to keep themselves awake. Let them take a water bottle full of soda or a sandwich. It’s not like we’re stealing. We are paying for the meal plan, so what’s the big deal? Also it is not like students are taking gallon jugs and filling them up with water, soda, milk, etc. We just want a water bottle or a travel mug for a drink.
In conclusion, I hope this rule gets thrown out in the end. This wasn’t an issue last year, so why are people trying to make it one now? It is also rules like this that make students act out more. Students hear that we can’t take beverages or food out of the DC now so they will try to get away with as much as they can. What is this going to come to if this rule is enforced? Searches before you leave the DC to make sure you haven’t taken anything you’re not supposed to? I think not. There shouldn’t be a rule that won’t be enforced.
Ellissa Coburn can be contacted at ecoburn@ksc.mailcruiser.com