 "Photo: Madeline West/Whitworthian")
Boy, I sure didn’t see this one coming. Last week, a sign appeared at the entrance to Sodexo that read, “Wanted: Sodexo Dishes. Please return our china! We lose $20,000 per year in lost dishes. If you return the dishes we can serve more milkshakes, steak dinners, seafood, calzones and more!” I admit, I had to chuckle when I saw this; how did they get those numbers and do they really expect anyone to believe they will follow through on their claims?
Sodexo has been on a roll lately, disappointing students left and right. First they turn our French dip Fridays into something pedestrian by giving them to us every week, then they take away our trays and consequently one of the Little Three, and finally they become distrustful of students who forget their ID cards. Oh yeah, and they sneak mushrooms into the sandwiches. I’m sure of it. Now they’re trying to tantalize us to return whatever dishes might have been taken out with 'more' of these really good types of food.
However, what we actually receive seems like a far cry from their assertions. The way the sign is worded, it sounds like we already receive these things from time to time. But the only one I’ve personally seen is the steak dinner. Admittedly, they put out milkshakes the other night, but I think they were just covering their tracks. But calzones? I’ll believe it when I see it.
I’m probably so doubtful of their claims because they promised the same sort of thing when they took away the trays. And we have gotten steak dinners, but not (as far as I can tell) on the monthly basis they planned. In the meantime, I’ve been forced to keep living off toast, spinach, and melon water.
Then there’s the statistic of losing $20,000 every year in stolen dishes. This surprised me. Of course I didn’t realize that Sodexo’s supply of dishes consists mostly of Incan artifacts. Once I realized the value of the plates and such, it was easy to see why the managers were concerned. I also won’t deny that people take things out; I’d be hard-pressed to find a student who hasn’t snagged a cup or two. However, I remember seeing lots of dishes returned to Sodexo at the end of every year—so I have a hard time believing that they lose so much money every year.
One might argue that people actually keep the dishes that they take, but I wouldn’t be too sure. Does anyone really want to deal with packing up and taking home a bunch of ugly greenish-blue plates? Or forks that an infant could bend in half? I doubt off-campus students come into Sodexo to supplement their cupboards and make out with 20 grand in booty. I’m really curious to see where these numbers came from.
Who knows, though? Maybe it really is a big problem. Maybe we’re starting to take our mascot too seriously. Or maybe the class of 2013 is rife with kleptomaniacs, draining Sodexo of its dish supply. If that is the case, I simply would rather see a straightforward request for the return of the dishes, rather than incentives and promises that will not consistently be fulfilled.
Gjefle is a junior majoring in English and biology. Comments can be sent to andrew.gjefle@whitworthian.com.
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