Imagine it’s the block after lunch on a school day in the Commons. Napkins, cups, utensils, and plates filled with half-eaten meals are abandoned as students rush to their next class. First and second lunches have left a wasteland of garbage for staff in the Upper School’s (US) kitchen to clean up. According to the Director of Dining Services Jim Fuller, this is “becoming a trend.”
Mr. Fuller expressed that at the beginning of the school year, students don’t always know the
routine for bussing their dishes, he said.
“It starts off at the beginning of the year. Kids don’t know how or they simply forget, but then it gets better as they get back in the swing,” he said. “Not this year. As a result, it has created more work for everyone.”
Every morning, the dining services team arrives at 5 a.m. to ship orders and prepare meals for all three campuses. Following their arrival, the staff members serve, clean, and pack until lunch, but the additional step of finding and clearing dishes adds more to the job. Mr. Fuller wishes students knew the “unseen” duties of the kitchen staff, he said.
“We are always on the call, always moving. Whether people see it or not, we’re always behind the scenes operating. If school is in session we’re here, no matter what.”
Mr. Fuller encourages the community to understand that the kitchen staff do their best to keep students happy, he said.
“If things run out or we change the menu, that means something happened with the delivery truck or food supply, so we are trying our best to make things perfect.”
For Production Cook Alex Medina, students who neglect to clean up after themselves create a never-ending cycle, which slows down the kitchen’s entire system, he said.
“It puts the kitchen behind. We leave whatever we are doing inside the kitchen and go pick up trash, plates, and cups. If someone leaves, then someone has to take their place and then so forth—a chain reaction.”
Mr. Fuller explained that the kitchen loses vast amounts of plates, forks, and bowls each year, as some students toss it all rather than separating leftover food from dishes and utensils. Mr. Medina agreed, adding that warm weather often leads to an increased number of missing dishes.
“When it’s nice out, students will just leave plates and cups outside and will often throw them out.”
Mr. Medina asks that students simply show their gratitude for the dining services team.
“Say thank you and appreciate us when you get your lunch. Just say thank you when you drop off your dishes. It goes a long way.”
Cailan MacDonald ’27 believes that student negligence in the Commons has resulted from fewer reminders from US faculty, she said.
“There was more enforcement from teachers like Mr. Strodel last year, but it seems to be less frequent now,” she said. “The decline in students putting away dishes is noticed, but some students try their best and sometimes forget.”
Still, Cailan agreed that students must change their lunchtime habits. “We are BB&N, and everyone needs to contribute to maintaining the Commons since we are part of a community.”
Jack Reinfield ’27 also expressed empathy for the kitchen staff. “When I see people not picking up after themselves, I feel bad for the dining services because they already put in so much work by getting here at five in the morning. They don’t need extra work.”
Cleaning up in the Commons should be a group effort, Jack said. “If you see something out there, then go pick it up. It’s not a big hassle. It’s good to go out of your way and do it.”
US Mathematics and Computer Science Teacher Sarina Simon said that it’s the responsibility of the entire US community to take care of shared spaces.
“Whoever is sitting there, whether it’s teachers, admin, or students, everyone is responsible for their dishes,” Ms. Simon said. “If you are in the space already, you might as well just clean up rather than have someone else go out of their way to pick up after people.”
