Rebecca Marsh
Equinox Staff
There has been a recent change in the dishware in the Zorn Dining Commons.
The ceramic green, blue, red, and yellow mugs have been replaced by clear mugs that hold the same amount of liquid as the old ones.
The reason why the dining commons staff made the choice to switch the mugs was because there were too many missing ceramic mugs.
According to the General Manager of the dining commons, Josef Quirinale, there were not enough ceramic mugs to last a meal for all the students who eat at the dining commons. Students have been taking the mugs home and are not bringing them back.
The first day the new mugs were put out for use, 60 mugs were stolen which is the equivalent of $120.
According to Quirinale, the new mugs are meant to create a comfortable feeling in the dining commons.
The new mugs cost $2 for each mug rather than the old mugs, which cost $7 each. By using the new mugs, the dining commons is saving people money. According to Quirinale, the amount of money spent to replace the stolen dishware from the dining commons accumulates to around $30,000 a year.
Quirinale said, “The only problem is that food cost has escalated.”
He continued to say, “Our [Sodexo employees] intention is just to save money for the students to put more money into the food we provide.”
Quirinale said that the money comes out of a food budget that the dining commons receives from the students’ meal plans.
“We need to make your money last through the year,” Quirinale said. He continued to say that it is theft and the dining commons can bring the issue to the Judicial Board; “We want it [the dining commons] to be a save haven.”
The dining commons staff wants the students to have as much comfort in the facility as possible.
“It makes our job much more difficult because what we need to do is we need to figure out ways to make the food budget stretch,” Quirinale said.
Carol Lepisto is an employee for Sodexo. “I’m discouraged by it [stealing the mugs] because they’re really nice mugs,” Lepisto said. Lepisto said she thinks the mugs are a good addition and the right choice for the dining commons.
Lepisto said, “I think it goes along with the nice presentation we’re [Sodexo employees] trying to do.”
There have been numerous mugs found on the side of the street and in dumpsters around Keene, according to Quirinale. He said that he felt disappointed to see the students’ money be wasted in that way.
“It’s a challenge for us to provide food everyday when the people we’re providing for misuse the system,” Quirinale said.
One of the reasons the dining commons staff chose the mugs, according to Quirinale, is because they go well with the rest of the dishware.
Another thing they looked for was for the glass mugs to hold the same amount of liquid as the old ceramic mugs.
Senior Kellie Weber is not pleased at this event, but understands how it happened. “I’m honestly not surprised. They’re prettier [than the old mugs] so people are going to steal them more,” Weber said.
She continued, “I think they [dining commons employees] assume that it’s all students who steal the mugs, when it’s really only a small percentage.”
Joey Warren, a sophomore at Keene State College, said, “I guess it just shows that the DC shouldn’t get good mugs.”
“It would be nice to be able to do things like Localvore and Global Chef and all those events more often,” Quirinale said.
According to Quirinale, one of the reasons that there has not been a sushi bar this year is because of spending the budget on other things and making sure that enough food is provided for the students.
The amount of money it took for the dining commons staff to replace the mugs reached close to $4,000, which equals three sushi events.
The old ceramic mugs are still being used, Quirinale said. They have been put in the faculty dining room and will also be used for special events.
The amount of replacement mugs purchased reached 28 dozen mugs, according to Quirinale. Even though the new mugs are $5 cheaper than the ceramic mugs, it still costs the dining commons a high amount of money to replace the dishware, Quirinale said.
“We [Sodexo employees] don’t want to be a policeman,” Quirinale concluded.
Rebecca Marsh can be
contacted at
rmasrsh@keene-equinox.com
Check our online edition of this story for a multimedia video on the missing cups!