Students comment on social life Comment cards read into more than just meal quality

Author: Eric Bartolloti

Have you ever stopped and read some of the dining hall comment cards? I have. I thought they would make a great idea for an article because they are fascinating, and because quoting a bunch of comment cards is a great way to pad my word count. I assume it is okay to quote them because they are on public display, but in all seriousness, I do not understand the underlying forces that shape copyright and plagiarism laws.

That said, after a little reading, I now understand the underlying forces that shape comment cards at Ross Dining Hall. Most comments lack names. Most comments fall into one of three categories: specific praise for favorite dishes, general praise for great service, and requests.

Regarding the first category, sourdough bread wins hands down, boasting four-plus comments. Regarding the second category, it is quite touching to see some of the nice words people write and if you are reading this article in a dining hall you should check out those cards right after you finish this article. Regarding the third category, well, more on that later. The first comment card.

Comment #1
20 Oct

* "Provide marshmallows with coffee after dinner (8pm - 12am)."

* "Sorry, but that is out of the question."

I don't think the commenter thought this one through. They can't provide coffee without keeping the dining hall open and they can't keep the dining hall open without having staff. It's not practical to pay staff - even just one or two people - for four extra hours each day, especially in this economy. And if this idea happned, I can't see it being very effective beyond Ross commons. I can't see Hepburn or Allen students trekking across campus at 11:30 for coffee, even if it was served with marshmallows. All considered, there are already coffee machines in the library and Bi-Hall, two great locations, right? You have to pay - and there are no marshmallows - but they are available even after midnight.

Comment #2
23 Oct

* "Can you get Kix cereal please?"

* "Sorry, but it does not come in bulk."

I was going to fill out a comment card about the absence of Honey Nut Cheerios, and then I saw this comment and figured the honey 'o's must lack bulk status too. And then I thought: why are some cereals bulk and some not? Who is bestowing this bulkiness? The cereal companies? The local distributors? Ron Liebowitz? And then I thought: whoever is bulking up these cereals probably bulked more varieties than the five or six in Ross. If we knew what these others were, then we could look for new favorites. And then I thought: maybe the ones we have now are the most affordable. And then I thought something that confuses the heck out of me: if bulk status is the key, then why do we sometimes see Frosted Mini Wheats or Total in boxes? I never imagined big bulk cereal coming in nice little boxes like in the supermarket.

Comment #3
6 Nov

* "What happened to getting local bread here at Ross? It is not here or at FIC. What gives? It is so delicious. Even Hamilton and Wesleyan have it."

* "Because of the economic downturn we need to watch what we are purchasing. That was an extra. Sorry."

The fact that the vast majority of food requests are for organic or local foods tells us the comment-filling demographic has many co-op shoppers. It's also interesting that this commenter mentioned rival schools as part of his/her argument. If only he/she had mentioned Williams. Then we'd see an uprising to bring back the local bread.

Comment #4
? Nov

* "Make a friend table? How about a table where you can sit down and meet someone new? All it would take is for you guys to put up a sign on one of the big tables to encourage meeting new people. Hope to see it soon."

* "This is interesting. I wonder how it will be received. I think it would fall upon the students to do this."

This is the comment that inspired me to write this article. I love the idea, and I want to make sure the student body sees it. I agree that this project falls on the responsibility of the students, but still I wonder how much of an impact such a table would make if the dining staff suddenly created one. As far as improving social life, I think this idea goes a lot farther than things like Middvites. While I feel that "singles table" beats "make a friend table" for title status, overall this commenter planted a bulls-eye sweet idea.