Respect the space: Leave Caf tables clean when you leave

It's time to start making the caf a nicer place for students throughout the open time instead of just when it opens for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Some students feel that this job is just for the Gourmet Dining Service (GDS) workers but it relies on students to keep the caf clean throughout the day.

Too many times after the first students sit at a clean table, they leave it a mess for the next group of students that want to sit down and eat their meals. I realize that we are all college students and do not want to do anything having to do with cleaning, but show some respect for your fellow student and at least wipe off the table when finished and don't leave spills behind.

The biggest annoyance with the tables in the caf is students, who not just leave a table dirty, but leave their plates and cups behind on the table. It really is not that difficult to return the used plates and cups to the tray return window when you finish eating. Even if you do not have a tray it is ok to just hand the dishwasher a plate and cup not on a tray, they will still accept it.

It is one thing to leave your plate full of food behind when eating at a restaurant because they hire people with the sole purpose to clean the table and prepare it for the next people to sit down and eat, a job that I have done in multiple restaurants. While working at restaurants my biggest pet peeve working was the people who showed no respect and left a big mess just knowing that they would not have to clean up the mess made.

This is the thoughts of most students because they know that no matter how much of a mess they leave, they will not be the ones who are going to have to clean it up. The problem here is the school does not hire people for the sole purpose of cleaning up other people's messes but to make the food. Once a mess is left on the table it is not cleaned up until that shift is over and if it left during dinner the workers have to stay longer to clean everything.

For students, the table does not have to be wiped down when you leave it, but at least get rid of the mess of plates and fallen off food so more students can sit down at a clean table and not be disgusted by what was left and have to fine extra space on the table with used plates and cup behind because all that shows is laziness because carrying plates back takes no effort and does not waste any time.

Stephen Valenti is a sophomore journalism major from Lansdale, PA. He can be reached at stephen.valenti@student.shu.edu