There is a growing trend among new and old students alike. It is not a good thing and needs to be dealt with before it gets out of hand. The problem is the wasting of food and other materials in the various dining halls on campus. While it may not seem like a concern to some people, the consequences cannot be ignored. Perhaps we can all change them for the better.

You know you’ve wasted food accidentally or intentionally at one time or another. Maybe you even do it to “get back at the man,” “fight the system” or whatever other heinous excuse you might use to justify it. No matter how you look at it though, wasting food and materials is morally suspect.

One prominent example is student use of the paper eco-cups. The dining halls clearly state that each patron is allowed to leave with one snack and one drink in those cups. That doesn’t mean you can take seven. Or worse, when people use the paper cups in the dining hall itself, instead of the glass ones. The glass ones are washable and use fewer resources than a whole paper cup.

Another big issue is the overabundance of food waste. When you go to eat, take what you are sure you can finish for the most part. If you happen to be hungry again afterwards, there are always seconds or to be healthier, smaller snacks. It is sad to see someone get the main meal with sides, eat some of it and then get a pizza or sandwich that is later thrown out. Plan ahead and you will thank yourself for it later.

Food waste plagues the dining hall. Who among us has not noted how much remains on plates on the conveyer belt in Lakeside or brushed into the trash at Cooper? Do something about it. If everybody worked to eliminate the amount of food they waste, then the entire problem would be resolved as well.

How about after the dinner is done? May students choose to take some food for later.

This doesn’t mean you can raid the ice cream freezer, snatch up all the chips you can grab or take multiple cups and putting unintentional food like sandwiches in them. That is not what they are for. Sometimes, cups are taken and not even used, only to be thrown out as students leave. Why take the cup in the first place? It is not as if they will all magically disappear if you do not grab one right away. Take it for what it is intended for, drinks, or at the very most cereal or something similar; not what you think you can get away with.