But Seriously, Fork it Back Over

Most students have stolen or seen someone steal silverware and cups from the Usdan Marketplace. While carrying a mug full of coffee outside of Usdan or “borrowing” a fork may seem insignificant at the time, it begins to add up when everyone does it. In fact, it has already added up: according to the article in this issue of The Argus, Bon Appétit spends approximately $3,000 each month to replace stolen utensils, bowls, and cups.

Usdan is not a silverware store; it exists to serve us food, and stealing from them makes that job more difficult. In addition, stealing from Usdan raises the prices of food, so not only does stealing waste Bon Appétit’s money, but it also forces people who do not steal from Usdan to pay more for their meals. So if you have complained about the University’s unfair meal plans, make sure to tell friends who are stealing that they are making it more difficult to establish beneficial meal plans for students due to Bon Appetit’s increased costs.

Stealing from Usdan ultimately hurts the student body in other ways: because Bon Appetit has to spend money on replacing stolen items, they likely have less money to spend on improving food quality. If the student body cares about working with Bon Appetit and the administration to improve Usdan Cafeteria’s selection over the years, then we should stop stealing items from Usdan, even if you only take items occasionally. Returning borrowed silverware, cups, and bowls at the end of the semester is not good enough, since Bon Appetit still has to pay for a replacement for the month that the item was missing.

However, there are potential solutions for the rampant stealing. Instead of taking stuff from Usdan, students should bring reusable containers to Usdan. This would not only reduce stealing, but would be a more environmentally friendly alternative to forcing Usdan to purchase more. Instead of stealing, students should try to come up with viable financial solutions that benefit everyone in the long-term. After all, most students won’t keep items they steal from Usdan for future years, but they will probably still have to eat at Usdan.