In my final weeks here at Dickinson, I’d like to take the time to address some of the behaviors of my fellow Dickinsonians. Specifically, I’d like to call out the abysmal behavior and lack of respect shown to those who work in the caf. While this does not apply to all of my fellow students, there are definitely a few who missed some lessons about respect and common courtesy. Those of us who work in the caf are not the highest paid, we don’t have the most glamorous job, and quite frankly, we probably have the grossest job. That doesn’t mean that you get to treat us like we’re below you.

While there have been many instances that I’d quite like to forget, several stand out. As a sophomore red shirt, I had a fellow student snap his fingers at me multiple times, and then beckon me over to him so I could answer his question about the sugar-free jello. Earlier this year, a girl tried to get my attention by shouting, “Hey you, caf worker!” at me. It’s rare that someone bothers to say excuse me before asking a question or asking me to get them something that’s out. It’s also rare that someone is understanding about the fact that we close the caf and pull the food ten minutes after doors close (for those of you who are confused, that’s 1:25 at lunch, 7:40 Monday-Thursday dinner, and 6:55 Friday-Sunday dinner). We’re not doing it to try to piss you off, or deprive you of dessert. We’re doing it because it’s our job. If you want the times changed, talk to Senate. We can’t do anything about it.

Much of my ire is also directed at those who are blatantly disrespectful to my reds, in particular two sports teams. There’s a sport team that sits in front of the ESPN TV at every meal, and you can always tell which tables they’ve used by the disgusting amount of trash, plates, cups etc that they’ve left at the table. Apparently they were never taught to clean up after themselves, and they should be ashamed. There’s an album on my phone of our pictures of particularly bad nights, where they’ve left plates with spilled milk, half-eaten chicken bones, and piles of plates and napkins. Yes, our job is to clean up the caf, but it shouldn’t be our job to pick up after you. The other sports team that is well-known as a source of frustration to the caf workers is the team that sits on the right side of the caf in the middle, usually at the long table. They seem to think that it’s acceptable to sit in the caf for hours after it ends, all in the name of gold medaling, or whatever it is they do. Yes, I understand that you have late practices and you come in late. That’s not your fault. What is your fault is your attitude when we ask you to leave. Usually, this doesn’t happen until at least 8:00, and by then, most of you are just sitting, not eating. If someone asks you nicely to leave in five to ten minutes so we can finish cleanup, it’s not acceptable to sit there for another fifteen minutes doing absolutely nothing. We’re not asking you to leave because we get a kick out of ruining people’s days. We’re just doing our job.

Look, I wouldn’t have traded my job for any other campus. I worked in the caf for all four years, and I absolutely loved it. It’s just that it’s sad to see how rude and disrespectful some of my fellow students have been. Working in the caf doesn’t make us second-class citizens, and it certainly doesn’t give you the right to treat caf workers like crap. We work incredibly hard, and we deserve your respect.

-Sarah Henry ’12