Misuse of box system in dining hall causes managers to search for solution
In the last few years, the Lipscomb Dining Hall has taken on a number of innovations to enhance the dining experience. The green to-go boxes are one of them and are not only used by students, but faculty as well. While the program was originally designed for user convenience, it has recently taken a costly turn. Student and faculty misuse of the system by their lack of returning the boxes, heating them in powerful microwaves and returning them moldy has caused issues. This has left the managers of the dining hall wondering of a potential solution that can continue to serve students while saving them money.
The green boxes are frequently used and coveted on campus. As students scan into the cafeteria, they have the option to either dine in, trade their box for a token to dine in, or grab a box to take out. If a student does not own a box, they can use either cash or their dining dollars to purchase one for five dollars.
The system was intended to create a cycle, under the expectation that the boxes would be returned after use to be washed and replaced for future use. However, many students tend to leave boxes in their dorm room, as stated by the Dining Hall Manager, Francis Antwi-Adjei.
Should students return the boxes, some of them return them too late. By this time, mold has collected in the plastic, and they are non-reusable. They get discarded, which contributes to a greater shortage of boxes.
The Marketing Manager of the dining hall, Abani Varner-Williams, has her own ideas in mind for potential solutions.
“We can always just go back to regular to-go boxes.” She said, “I feel like the students will be indifferent. I think it’s just about having the option to-go. I don’t think they necessarily care about the container it’s in.”
The cafeteria has experimented with this by using disposable boxes to compensate for the shortage of the classic green ones.
“I personally don’t mind raising prices on things,” Varner-Williams said, “but I also know that with it being a college atmosphere, … it might not be good because our lunch is already $14.20.”
Despite her efforts to save money, student convenience appears to be the main priority. Students also have their own ideas about the subject, such as Megan Gables.
“I feel like the school is way too big now not to have the to-go box program because the caf isn’t big enough for meal times to house everyone.” She said, “I wonder if there [could] be an extra barcode or sticker for our ID that if we opt into the program, we scan it and it tracks whether or not our box has been returned …” Gables is a junior English major from Birmingham, Alabama.
Her idea aims to inform the cashiers of how many boxes are in the cycle (based on how many people have paid for the program) and whether the person scanning in:
- Has returned the previous box
- Has lost their box, and must purchase a new one
“That way, it doesn’t punish the students who are timely and respectful to the system,” she said, “and it makes the people who aren’t, more responsible than putting all the responsibility on the caf staff.”
The dining hall managers continue to work towards a solution. Currently, they rely on disposable boxes and tokens.
