Is there a sense of Aggie Pride in Williams Dining Hall?  

In the last few weeks, it has become a problem for students to clean up after themselves on a regular basis. These continuous occurrences has led to a heavier work load for the staff of the cafeteria.

While it is known that the dining hall has room attendants, it is not their job to pick up after students after each meal.

It is the student’s responsibility to clean up after himself or herself.

Anthony Edwards, floor technician for Williams Dining Hall, is disturbed with the actions of students who do not properly clean up after themselves.

“I think it’s a combination of lack of initiative and the fact that younger students see older students leave trash behind, but it would be worthwhile to see older students and younger students cleaning their areas,” said Edwards.  

The duties for room attendants are to refill napkin dispensers, sanitize seating tables, clean up spills, sweep the floor, and refill salt and pepper shakers. It is difficult for the hall attendants to maintain their core duties because they are cleaning up after students. Consequently, tasks are falling short, which is now leading to longer shifts, aching backs, and unsatisfying customer service.

“It really upsets me when I am walking straight by and the students stuff plates across the table, or either on my cleaning cart, which takes away from me completing my duties at work,” said Pre-wash Technician Jamie Moran.   

Williams Dining Hall has made extraneous upgrades, but find it displeasing that students are not taking pride in the hall or themselves.

This unpleasant gesture is not only offensive to the staff, but to prospective students who come to take tours of the campus. The way that prospective and transfer students view the dining hall is a reflection of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

Amanda Steiner, general manager for Williams Dining Hall encourages Aggies to keep the dining hall clean.

“The current problem that we are facing is that some students are not keeping the dining hall clean. We are faced with the shortage of silverware, cups, and other inventory because students leave the inventory on the tables and are not cleaning up after themselves after their time with us,” said Steiner.

If students do not clean up after themselves, the staff of the dining hall is looking to get rid of the premiums that they offer. Fried Chicken Friday, Wing-Wednesday, Sunday Crab-Legs will no longer be offered if this issue persists. The staff is looking to see a change in the next two weeks, otherwise the premiums will be taken away.

Not all students have an issue with cleaning up after themselves.

“It is not inviting to sit down at a table in the dining hall and be surrounded by dirty plates, cups, trash, wrappers, or utensils. It is unacceptable for any visitor or campus guest to walk into a dining hall surrounded by a dirty atmosphere of eating materials,” said junior biology student Kadijah Russell.

Some believe that one of the main problems is the lack of respect for the Williams Dining Hall staff.

“It almost makes me ashamed of my fellow peers when they don’t have the respect for the hard work and dedication that they put into their jobs despite hours away from family and friends,” said sophomore computer engineering student, Rolman De Los Santos.   Williams Dining Hall wants to build a welcoming atmosphere for everyone to have an excellent dining experience, which will make visitors want to constantly visit the dining hall.

We are expected to have a sense of Aggie Pride. In order to maintain that sense of Aggie Pride, we need to keep the Williams Dining Hall clean because that is what Aggies’ Do.     

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• Dominique Moody, Register Reporter