This week’s question: Recently there has been a lot of publicity about students getting in trouble for stealing food items from Dining Services. Does this cast a different light on how easy students think it is to steal food from places like the Pit and Douglass? What’s your take on the stealing issue?
While there are, of course, some students who feel strongly that all stealing is wrong, many have little to no qualms over stealing the occasional apple or drink when they can get away with it. Recently, however, there has been closer surveillance as the number of cameras has been upped and employees are now more watchful. Also, it is rumored that there are extreme monetary consequences for even thefts of food items of less than $5 — an apple for instance. To me, this is absurd. I agree that detected thefts cannot go unrecognized and should be duly punished, but the stripping away of scholarships and funding is cruel and unnecessary. We are already expected to steal, as revealed by the built-in theft fee. Why the over-the-top robbery of hard-earned funding for school? What is the lesson that is taught by this? Is it that if you steal from the school, the school will steal from you the ability to live beyond the theft and its ramifications? Excellent. Lesson learned.
Coming in as a freshman, one of the first hurdles I had to overcome was getting used to my 150-Club dining plan. Most of the time I handled it fine, but what I didn’t realize was that I was losing weight because the amount of food I got with a Club, even when spending additional declining, was easily burned off, and I ended up hungry later. Compensation came from declining smoothies and nutrition bars several times a week, as well as consuming a steady supply of snacks from my parents. Think about it. My parents, who already pay for my college education, including books, tuition, room and board, had to send me extra food just so I wouldn’t waste away into angst-ridden oblivion. More…
I find it comical that the University is cracking down on students for stealing, and HERE they are stealing from the students by finding excuses to rise the price of foods and cutting down on its quality. More…
Here is my take on it. Yes, stealing is wrong in a sense and the recent crack down on stealing food will deter some students from stealing food. However, it will not deter the students who sees stealing as a moral objection against the injustice that Dining Service is committing. Dining has been fucking the students over for far too long, and no amounts of complaining, petitioning and going through official channels is bringing about any new improvement. I know from personal experience as the co-editor of the Dining Petition last year, that even though we had about 1,000-plus signatures from students protesting the new dining plans and the overall quality of the food, there has not been any major improvements at all. More…
The publicity surrounding incidents of students being punished for stealing food is a pretty good attempt at warning students not to steal from the University. I do object to stealing morally; however, I agree with both Gao and Carlos in that the change needs to come from the University Dining Services. The University fails to act or address the complaints and concerns of its student concerning dining costs and quality, and this, as it would in any democratic society, leads to rebellion and anti-conformity. Also, the penalty which one student received for stealing a bagel from the pit was way too extreme. How could the University justify taking someone’s financial aid away to study? There are better ways to teach someone to be appreciative or to teach them to be different. There are plenty of places that could use an extra hand through community service in Rochester.
Campus food just ain’t worth stealing.
It seems to me that most people on campus are dissatisfied with their meal plans. The changes made in Dining last year were not taken very well by the student community, now that our meal plan requirements are locked into our housing. Because of the lack of autonomy when deciding on meal plan options, students naturally lose respect for the Dining Services mechanism. Such a lack of respect is the first step in anyone’s mind to think it OK to steal food. Besides, as far as I know, there is already a built-in theft fee on our term bills. If the University expects students to steal and charges them for it, then why should they penalize us when we fulfill their expectations?
7 responses so far ↓
1 Patrick // Apr 7, 2009 at 12:48 am
Oh Dining Services. I don’t even know why they hold town hall meetings on the subject. Maybe its because they just want to poll the students’ opinion so they can go in the opposite direction. There must be some larger force at work here because with all the protesting we still see no change. Is the University invested in Aramark perhaps and won’t tell? Is there a lengthy contract that we are still yet to complete (and most likely renew)?
Having worked for the beast myself, I do know that the University hires third party auditors to show up and look at what dining services has to offer. Strangely enough, though, they warn Aramark! and so all the management put on a smile and change things for a day.
The fact that stealing food has increased in frequency can’t be blamed on the fact that students simply want to get something for free. Free food and loopholes in the system are abound and yet students still want to steal. It as to be saying something more, but nonetheless I am sure it is cost effective to add an additional camera to the pit that to actually listen to the students. As long as the students get a sense that they are being boned they will do everything in their power sans burning down the place to get even despite the risk and consequences. An apple from Aramark tastes sweeter when stolen.
2 Dan A. // Apr 7, 2009 at 9:15 pm
I am repulsed by these responses. To think that just because the Dining Contract isn’t the best (perhaps that’s even giving the meal plans more credit than they deserve), we should condone stealing is ridiculous. Even if these respondents didn’t come out and say it, the tone of each argument indicates they all have hardly any qualm with students lifting over $1000 of stolen food each week from the Pit. Hey, what the hell — an eye for an eye, right? Dining is screwing us over, therefore we have the right to perpetuate the problem by lifting a bag of Sun Chips — as if your 150 club meal plan couldn’t last you through the semester. It’s ridiculous to think that that kind of response will ever solve a problem.
I realize that none of the respondents said stealing was alright. But just about all of them said, what does Dining expect — students are unhappy with their meal plans, prices are generally high, WE NEED JUSTICE… so let’s steal an apple. All of us. And Dining won’t know what to do. Problem solved.
I’ll tell you what I expect out of the student body: an organized response. If students are still legitimately upset about their meal plans, then don’t steal all the food from the Pit — there are plenty of legal ways (that go beyond just signing a petition) to stand up to the administration. Patrick, I have to disagree with at least one part of your comment. I’m curious as to where exactly “all the protesting” is that you allude to against meal plans. What I saw was one failed attempt last year (organized by someone outside of student government, our advocate for the student body, mind you) to respond to the meal plan and then eventual acquiescence by students. That is what our administration banks on, after all — students having an attention span of a two-year-old.
There has been nothing since that point — or at least nothing that has been brought to the attention of the student body, the ones affected by this change. Meal plan prices actually rose this year. Prices rose!?! How could the administration even think to allow that if students were so vehemently against — oh wait, I forgot to sign that petition on my way to Chem Lab… So much for students banning together to stand up to the administration.
There’s little doubt in my mind that something is wrong with our dining system. That somewhere along the line, we are not being provided with the best quality for the money we pay. But I don’t understand how stealing is anything more than analogous to a toddler throwing a tantrum because he didn’t get his way… We are adults. Let’s be constructive.
But the saddest (and maybe most strikingly embarrassing) thing about this whole situation is most of the stealing isn’t some poor attempt to silently stand up against some kind of injustice — no, the real reason isn’t nearly as thought-out. Kids steal because they can. Because lines are long. Because they’re not REALLY breaking the law. Because… whatever.
3 Jen S. // Apr 7, 2009 at 10:00 pm
The issue at hand has nothing to do with Dining’s (in)ability to live up to students’ expectations. It is students’ letting their peers down. The more “we” steal, the higher Dining has to charge to cover our irresponsibility. What many don’t realize is the 20 or so meager dollars to cover stolen goods is not a freebie, and is not there so you can steal without any mark on your conscience.
However, that’s a side note. I fully agree with Dan A. Stealing is NOT the answer to the complaint that dining is inadequate.
Speaking UP is the right answer. Go to dining committee meetings, read the paper, talk to (informed) senators to gauge what the situation actually is. Only then does one have the right to decide what response the situation requires. I don’t believe someone can complain when they are uninformed. But, armed with facts, you can appeal Dining on an even plane, instead of resorting to lowly tactics, such as stealing, to defy “the man.” We can only show our maturity with action. Lobby. Petition. Discuss solutions, in addition to problems. Complaining and worse, stealing, gets you nowhere.
4 Maya // Apr 8, 2009 at 8:17 am
Hmm, perhaps we should hunger strike for Dining Services justice!
Kidding.
The respondents do have a very good point. Stealing is wrong and it pretty much is not going to solve our problem. I think Dan’s right in pointing out that most people don’t steal because they want to stick it to the man, but because they can. However, personally, I have about as little faith in student government on this campus as I do in Dining Services, maybe even less.
Unfortunately, at U of R, the student government is a pretty useless apparatus whose organizing power (or lack thereof) is not really a function of the incompetence of the members (because the members are undoubtedly smart, capable, enthusiastic people), but more a function of the total lack of interest on the part of students in being active in University policy decisions. The “injustice” against us through draconian dining policies can only be done because we are totally complacent. We just don’t care enough to really fight it, or really propose a constructive solution. Just as we don’t care enough about the immorality of stealing to not do in light of long lines and an easy opportunity.
The student body tends to be apolitical and apathetic. We don’t stand for something collective and powerful, not even organized outrage the way some other schools like Columbia or NYU do. I mean, there’s chem lab to pass and law school to get into, who’s got time to fight the man? Are lack of power to influence campus policies is only perpetuated by our lack of interest in our own community. Beats me why that is.
Case in point, however, last week President Seligman had a town hall meeting in Hoyt and students could come and ask him questions about anything. Guess how many people were there? 30 would be a gracious estimate.
5 Sylvia // Apr 16, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Maya,
I’m going to go ahead and disagree with your statement that
“Unfortunately, at U of R, the student government is a pretty useless apparatus whose organizing power (or lack thereof) is not really a function of the incompetence of the members (because the members are undoubtedly smart, capable, enthusiastic people), but more a function of the total lack of interest on the part of students in being active in University policy decisions.”
While, admittedly, communication has been an issue this year with two chairs switching halfway through the year, just because you are uninformed about the change that student government is effecting on campus doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen. Instead of going against Aramark, we try to be realistic and practical and work with them to see what can actually be done because the fact is that if you want to change the system, you have to know the system first. In my experience, Dining Services and Aramark employees are really nice, polite individuals who genuinely want to see us happy with our meal plans. When you ask them for a change or give a suggestion, they’ll either tell you when you can expect to see it or why it can’t be done. Have you ever approached a manager at a dining center to give your feedback? I have found them to be extremely receptive too. You should try and get involved with the Projects and Services committee (the committee in Student Government that deals with things like dining) before you bash student government and say that we don’t do anything. Senate meetings are Mondays at 9 in the Gown room, and I recommend you attend a senate meeting or two before making uninformed claims about what it is we do/do not do.
As to the topic - stealing is not appropriate behavior for young adults, no matter what your sentiments are about the meal plan.
6 Dan A. // Apr 19, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Sylvia,
It seems Maya is not bashing student government so much as addressing the student apathy problem that runs rampant at this University.
-Dan
7 Maya // Apr 20, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Sylvia,
Dan’s right I wasn’t bashing student government but the fact that no one cares about it. I certainly appreciate the student government’s efforts, but as a student body we really don’t affect the change we seem to be complaining about needing all the time. I think we’re a pretty spoiled lot of complacent people, and the enthusiasm of a few individuals unfortunately is not making much of a dent in changing that. Student government isn’t intrinsically useless, but the students have made it that way. And I don’t mean the students involved in it, though I don’t know everyone.
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