The Irony of Dining Hall Milk

Changing times call for tightening measures in our school’s policies, habits, and small traditions. In the past few years, students have watched water bubblers and the beloved M&Ms disappear, but this year’s changes in the distribution of milk for students have come as a surprise.

Towards the end of last year, it was decided that students could no longer obtain milk from the dining hall staff for dorm-use, in an effort to prevent waste and save money. This milk, however, had been picked up by students who needed and would use milk in the dorms, while the milk served at sit-down meals is typically distributed whether the table requests it or not, and therefore much that is taken ultimately goes to waste.

Milk should be available to those who want and will drink it instead of carelessly being pushed upon all sit-down tables where oftentimes much is left untouched. For the school, it’s likely that this small reform would allot equal or surplus savings, as well as ensuring that the school’s milk is actually consumed, rather than being poured out following each meal and perpetuating this wasteful system.