DRS shelved for 'fine' china Dining services recruits student dish monitors

Author: Thomas C. Drescher

The documentation in the handbook has existed for years with words about fines for removing dishes from the dining rooms. The entire concept is being molded day by day.

Director of Dining Services Matthew Biette announced in a recent all-campus e-mail that, as of Feb. 6, College Handbook policy regarding the removal of dishes from dining facilities will once again be implemented. Biette's pronouncement came in the wake of the cancellation of the ultimately ineffectual Dish Recovery System (DRS).

According to the Middlebury College Handbook, attempting to remove dishes, utensils or food from dining facilities will result in a minimum $35 fine and additional "disciplinary proceedings." Biette pointed out that the handbook language has always been there, but enforcement difficulties and the adoption of DRS last year made dishware removal/theft fines and related punitive action virtually obsolete.

In the spirit of other policy-violation fines, students will be billed by the College for infractions. Entire residence halls will also be charged for unclaimed stolen dishware under the heading of "dorm damage." According to Biette's e-mail, Dining Services plans to hire students to work as door monitors during meals. Additionally, diners who wish to leave with dishes will be required to sign out and sign in.

According to SGA Director of Environmental Affairs Clare O'Reilly, SGA members, administrators and Dining Services and Recycling Center staff met during December and January and collaborated on the decision to discontinue DRS and adopt a new fine-based system that will hopefully avoid what Biette called the "room service mentality" propagated unintentionally by DRS. O'Reilly pointed out that DRS was not a failure per se, but its collapse was the result of overuse and to an extent misunderstanding on the part of students.

Student Government Association (SGA) President Andrew Jacobi '05 cited a number of reasons for the cancellation of DRS, including an increase in the number of dishes collected by the recycling center, complaints from Facilities Planning that the overflowing DRS bins were unsightly and even reports of rodent problems associated with the buildup of dirty dishes in Forest Hall. In general, however, Jacobi pointed out that the program "seemed to condone taking dishes out of the dining halls, while Dining Services has never allowed students to do so. [They] agreed to work with the SGA for the program despite this concern, because they were willing to do just about anything to decrease the amount of lost dishware."

Though he sympathizes with Dining Services and readily acknowledges that DRS was unsuccessful, Jacobi also said he commiserates with busy students who are expected to function in an environment that often demands full academic and extracurricular engagement but does not necessarily provide accessible, on-the-go dining solutions. Biette also recognized the legitimacy of this position, but suggested a number of reasonable alternatives to swiping dishes. Walking out of a dining hall with an ice cream cone or a piece of fruit is completely acceptable, Biette said, as is filling a Nalgene or insulated mug with a dining hall libation.

Jacobi said that Dining Service's decision to hire door monitors was made "precisely because it was less expensive" than replacing dishes. Biette estimated that it would cost about $14,000 to employ student door monitors - a trim figure compared to the more than $80,000 spent on plates, cups, glasses, etc. last year.

Biette, O'Reilly and others reiterated their request that students return missing dishes and refrain from taking them in the future, though now there exists true incentive to follow the rules: fear of fines. Biette acknowledges that the new system is "being molded day by day," but asserts that it "is necessary to keep the dishes where they belong: in the dining halls."