The Ethicist

Author: Amanda Green

Would you leave your garbage on the floor of the reading room in the Axinn Center? I would venture to say no. Why then do students think it's ok to litter on pathways? Granted, the walk from Bihall to Ross is not complete with dark wood flooring, but Middlebury employees work hard to maintain the grass and the sidewalks. Middlebury's outdoor campus is just as much part of the college community as our new pristine (and gorgeous!) buildings. I find it extremely upsetting that students think it's ok to break plastic plates and leave the pieces scattered along the grass.

If you drop something, pick it up. Take some responsibility. If students only pick up after themselves in academic buildings they privilege our classrooms over our environment, and suggest that certain spaces are more valued than others. I would argue that, in warm weather, Middlebury students spend a considerable amount of their time outside, and that we love Battell Beach just as much as the new library. So, we need to start respecting our environment, and this includes hallways. The window sill - not a place for empty beer cans. Do people really think it's ok to leave their trash bags in the hallways? Dirty plates don't belong in the LaForce library. I know it's basic, and seems like a non-issue, but sometimes I wonder. Middlebury students talk so much about working towards a greener planet and a greener future, and perhaps a good place to start would be by picking up after ourselves, even if it's Saturday night.

And now for this week's question:
Q: I need coffee in the morning. Sometimes, I forget to bring my own mug to the dining hall at breakfast and, out of necessity, take my coffee to class in a school owned mug. Is it ethical for me to remove glassware from the dining hall when I know there is a shortage of mugs? Additionally, sometimes I'm walking towards the dining hall and spot dishes that others have discarded. Am I obligated to take them back to the dining hall?
- Mug-Mugger

A: It's fine to take mugs out of the dining hall as long as they are promptly returned. The dining hall staff is aware that students take mugs elsewhere, and if they were really opposed to such actions they would instruct students not to leave with mugs. When students remove mugs, plates and glasses from the dining hall, it is assumed that the item will be returned within the next twenty-four hours. Our dining policy places trust in students and believes that everyone is working towards a positive dining environment. If you see dishes on your walk to the dining hall, and have a free hand, you should pick them up. You have no obligation to pick up after others, but I would hope that you, as a Middlebury student, would be encouraged to do your part to keep campus as clean as possible.

Want to consult the ethicist? Send submissions to amgreene@middlebury.edu.