Student Senate met with Warren Palm, director of Dining Services, and Caleb Mattison, campus sustainability intern, March 4 to discuss the proposed removal of trays from the Luther cafeteria.

After Palm discussed the details of the plan and addressed questions, the Senate approved a two-week research period to occur sometime this semester. The proposal was passed on to Community Assembly, which also voted in favor of the trial period at their meeting on Tuesday, Mar. 11.

Data will be collected during one week with trays and another week without. The amount of waste and exact energy savings will be quantified and compared to a normal week. The results will be made available to the student body

“One of our biggest expenses is food that doesn’t get eaten,” said Palm.

Palm and Mattison hope to then have an open forum, once all information has been collected and analyzed, in order to make the final decision with the consent of students.

“We don’t have the final say on this,” said Palm during the Senate meeting. “Ultimately, it’s what the students want.”

Mattison emphasized the importance of student input on the issue and hopes students will voice their opinions.

“We’re definitely not going to do this without getting student comments,” said Mattison.

The goal of removing trays is to help reduce the carbon footprint and food waste of the college.

Energy and water costs, as well as food and material waste in the cafeteria should be reduced, based on results from other schools that have already implemented the removal of trays.

With the savings that come with the energy and waste reduction, other schools were able to improve their cafeteria menu. While Mattison and Palm are unable to say exactly how the money saved will be spent, it will go back to the students in some way.

According to Palm, it will most likely lead to better quality food. Next year, he hopes to integrate more organic and locally grown food into the cafeteria’s menu.

“We can further improve our sustainability by buying food much closer to home,” said Palm.

Senate members posed several questions during the meeting, especially about other options for reducing consumption and the hassle for students, especially athletes. Palm and Mattison admitted that a change would take some time for students to get used to, but both maintained that this was still the best option for efficient reduction of waste and energy.

“We’re not making these changes in order to increase student convenience in the cafeteria,” said Mattison. “We’re making these changes in order to lower the school’s environmental impact.”

Larger glasses, 15 or 16 ounces, would be purchased in conjunction with the removal of trays, since many students currently use more than two glasses per meal.

If the proposal is ultimately approved, Mattison predicted that trays would be permanently removed at the start of the 2008 fall semester.

“The advantage of doing this is that a quarter of the student population won’t know anything different,” said Mattison.

Palm and Mattison are aware that a trial and permanent removal of trays may upset students at first.

“Is there going to be a backlash?” said Mattison. “Of course there is. People would have to change their habits in the cafeteria.”

However, based on information from other schools that have already made this change, the initial negative feedback dwindles as students grow accustomed to a trayless cafeteria.

Stephanie Lim (‘09), the diversity student representative to the Board of Regents, is in support of the proposal and made the motion to approve the two-week trial period. She still understands the worries of other students.

“I know some [students] that are a little discontent with the idea because they are primarily worried about the rush hour time,” said Lim. “Also, those who usually eat more are not too keen on having to juggle a few plates, bowls and cups.”

However, she believes that the benefits still outweigh the difficulty of adjusting to a new system without cafeteria trays.

“I personally think what we are changing here is our culture of consumption,” said Lim. “If we change just a simple habit like not using a tray, maybe we would pile less food on our plates and waste less. And for those who always feel obliged to finish everything on their tray even when they are full, this is a good way to start eating in the right proportion and be healthier.”