Column:
CDS should adopt trayless dining
Published Jan. 29, 2010
I promise this will be the last time you hear me discuss trayless dining.
It's odd this movement should become such a spectacle. Honestly, the only reason it appeared on my platform for Missouri Students Association president was because former Sustain Mizzou leaders Adam Saunders, Ben Datema and Pat Margherio suggested it be featured on our sustainability plank, which already contained a pledge to bring a sustainability coordinator to campus and an idea to expand Tiger Treasures.
That was in September 2008. Over the next few months of campaigning, I never heard a negative comment about trayless dining, though I sat down with the Residence Halls Association and individual hall councils.
I didn't pursue trayless dining once I was in office because it isn't as important as a lot of other issues.
Then MSA Senate and RHA began to hold a dialogue. RHA conducted a haphazard and unscientific survey that indicated most students did not favor trayless dining. Campus Dining Services failed to provide educational materials on it, which it had previously pledged to do.
During summer break, I started pushing for a trayless dining pilot in Rollins dining hall for fall 2009, in order to see if students would truly have a negative reaction to a long-term trayless initiative. After all, Rollins was going offline in December, and the most accurate way to gauge student opinion was to try it out.
Unfortunately, Julaine Kiehn, who runs CDS, would not allow it, despite RHA support.
Instead, CDS and RHA pursued the Trayless Week Challenge. CDS was supposed to provide ample educational materials on trayless dining before and after Trayless Week Challenge but failed once more. Students were irritated because "their trays had been taken away."
Hell, I'd be pissed too.
People don't like change, and they like it less when it isn't paired with an explanation.
Despite the shortcomings of CDS, the Trayless Week Challenge was an incredible success. It reduced waste by 25 percent and saved 14,000 gallons of water in a single week.
Despite these incredible savings, RHA refuses to pressure CDS to move forward. RHA leaders base this decision on an unscientific survey conducted after the Trayless Week Challenge, in which roughly 60 percent of respondents indicated they would prefer not to move to trayless dining. I would understand this decision if the response had been stronger, but 60 percent isn't exactly a mandate. Even if it accepts the figure of 60 percent as accurate, RHA should endorse trayless dining.
Student leaders have access to knowledge other students do not. I'm talking about the subsequent savings transforming themselves into better CDS meal options, more CDS meal options and CDS meals at a lower price, all of which are a possibility if we reduce our waste by 25 percent.
I understand RHA leadership is still haunted by the poor leadership displayed by past administrations, but representative government is designed to avoid the proverbial "tyranny of the masses," though it's a little extreme to use this philosophical reference in a conversation about trayless dining, which is an issue of convenience. RHA needs to realize what is right is not always popular.
MSA Senator Evan Wood is sponsoring a resolution to adopt trayless dining.
MSA, RHA and CDS need to suck it up and make a commitment to going trayless in summer 2010. Most of those living in the residence halls will not return, and those coming to MU for the first time will have never had an experience with trays, which means if backlash happens, it will be minimal. I'm not saying we can move to trayless dining with zero criticism, but no one's political career is going to end over this issue.
Comments (2)
3:30 p.m., Jan. 31, 2010
Guy Fawkes said:
Ok first and foremost let me take care of this upfront: "This is ironic because another haphazard and unscientific survey - the 2008 MSA Presidential Election - resulted in nearly 60% of respondents being against Jordan Paul." Please do me a favor and point out the irony in that. I am having a tough time grasping it. Convince us you weren't just trying to sound smart. Also criticizing an election for being unscientific is kind of stupid, it isn't supposed to be scientific. Whereas a survey used to gather statistics to make a case one way or the other probably should be scientific. I'd be interested to hear how many people actually took the survey. I'd also be interested to know how many people took it twice, as people have reported they were able to do so. Kind of hurts the case. Lastly if the students of MU want to continue to have an essentially meaningless luxury at the cost of 14,000 gallons of water a week and 25% of overall food waste, they quite frankly do not deserve it. That is an incredibly price to pay for something so trivial. Its completely unsustainable from both a business standpoint and an environmental standpoint. What CDS saved from all that water and all the extra food they produce simply so students can throw it away could be used on something like higher quality food at their establishments. Why should I have to continually pay a fee just so that lazy people can have trays, especially when I could be having a higher quality meal for the same price if the trays weren't in existence anymore. The fact is that CDS knows trayless is great for business, and they will adopt it eventually regardless of student opinions. However cowering behind an incredibly unreliable '60%' as an excuse to avoid making a difficult decision is not leadership. Student leaders have all the facts of the situation, they know what the right thing to do is. However they refuse to do it at risk of becoming unpopular, and because many of them are willing to put this meaningless luxury above better food and more sustainable practice. (Although meanwhile they are willing to impose a tax on all students in the name of sustainability) RHA, CDS, and MSA should all be ashamed of themselves for their actions on trayless thusfar. RHA leadership has taken a stance against it officially, and MSA voted down a bill that would set its stance on the proper side of things. It's a pity, really.
12:39 p.m., Jan. 30, 2010
Shane Schofield said:
This isn't a new course of action for failed political figures. If something they wanted to see happen doesn't happen, then it's someone else's fault. RHA didn't do this, CDS didn't do that, none of these organizations are as all-knowing as MSA. Hogwash. Regardless of the success of the Challenge Week, students are still opposed to the idea of removing trays from their dining areas. If the students of Mizzou want trays with the meals, then they should have them. If they think they're better off without them, then by all means eliminate them. But it should be the student's choice, and not the choice of some former student politician who let the power of his office supersede the wishes of his constituents. In this letter, Paul indicated that a "haphazard and unscientific survey" conducted by RHA resulted in 60% of respondents being against Trayless dining. This is ironic because another haphazard and unscientific survey - the 2008 MSA Presidential Election - resulted in nearly 60% of respondents being against Jordan Paul. RHA does not exist to always do what is right. While it strives to do so, it's main responsibility is to accurately represent the wishes of it's constituents. I respect RHA's actions regarding trayless dining and trust that they will continue to act in the best interests of their students regardless of the harsh criticism handed out to them by a former MSA President. While former RHA President Bobby Wood knelt to Jordan Paul's wishes, current leadership repeatedly has stated RHA will support what the students want - a not-so-novel concept that Jordan Paul would be wise to accept.