Caf Controversy: Do Trays Stay or Go?

Last Thursday on the front cover of CHIPS (Luther's weekly newspaper written by students) was an article titled "Trays' Days Are Numbered". The article went on to describe how the student council approved a trial period of 2 weeks sometime during the rest of the semester when the caf will not have trays for students to put their plates, silverware, drinks, or food on.

The idea behind this is that too much food is getting wasted at Luther because people just pile it on their trays without thinking about how hungry they actually are. During the two week trial the amount of food wasted will be recorded so that it can be compared to the amount of food wasted when students are allowed to use trays. Apparently this information will then be used in determining for next year if trays will permanently be taken out of the cafeteria.

The article also claimed that the students will ultimately make the decision about whether or not trays are necessary are whether or not they will be kept. We are all counting on this because I know a lot of people feel strongly about keeping the trays. I know I do. I think the idea behind getting rid of trays is very good, but I don't think that getting rid of trays is the only way to decrease waste.

Just so you know, the trays at Luther are very plain: green rectangles without little compartments for food. Some people choose to put food directly onto their trays, others choose to use plates or bowls. Everything goes through the same washing process so it's not a hug deal, unless you're eating soup or ice cream.

As an athlete I typically get 2-3 glasses of drink at each meal-at least one for water and usually one for milk. If we got rid of trays then I would spend one trip just getting drinks. Then I would also need 1 hand to carry a plate for my sandwich and vegetables, plus 1 hand to carry silverware and fruit. So at least 2 trips would need to be made. And when I think about all of the lunches where I get soup, I know that just that one bowl is going to require both of my hands. Just last week I went back to get a second helping of soup with just my bowl and ended up spilling some on my shoe. That's another thing trays are good for, catching spills.

So, although the plan may be able to be accomplished,I think that it's going to be more time consuming to get food, more plates are going to get dropped and broken, and the caf could potentially be more congested with a lot of people making multiple trips back and forth like busy bees.

Instead of getting rid of trays why don't we get rid of plates or have some fine or consequence for those people who are the food wasters. Maybe Luther should just buy trays that are smaller so that people can't fit so much food on their trays. We did get rid of plates, bowls, and silverware for one day in the fall to try and raise awareness about food waste and I know that quite a few people were upset. They argued that we're paying enough to attend this school so why can't we have all of those utensils to eat?

Right now that is the talk of the school other than spring break. Our last day of class before break is Thursday, and then we'll come back Tuesday April 1. I am really looking forward to break and will definitely be happy to just relax and take it easy- making full use of all of the plates, silverware, and cups available to me at home!

Basketball on the Brain

Ok, I admit, I love basketball season! These past few months have been great (despite the snowy, cold weather) because I've been able to come back from dinner, turn on ESPN and watch basketball whenever my heart desired. My roommates probably think I'm a little obsessed and are probably wondering how much longer this routine will last. Oh, just another month or so. But if they think that ESPN was on a lot in the previous months, just wait, because this month is the best...March Madness baby!

Whenever I watch a close, intense college game, a buzz of excitement fills me and I just love it. I think it's because I still vividly remember some of the close, intense games that I played in. The warm-up music, the fans, the atmosphere, the competition- all that is what makes basketball such a fun sport. I just can't imagine the same kind of thing for say, a golf tournament. Granted, Tiger Woods can bring some pretty fierce competition, but for me the atmosphere on a golf course would be nowhere near that of a basketball arena.

Last weekend as I was leaving the Ethnic Arts Festival early in order to get back to watch the Duke/North Carolina game, I realized how popular the sport of basketball is. I was opting out of a really cool Ethnic Arts show that's only once a year just so I could go watch college basketball which I could see any night. How bad is that?

At lunch Saturday afternoon I heard quite a few of the guys talking about good games that were going to be on TV, and how homework would just have to wait until Sunday. Just think about how many people will take part in some sort of March Madness bracket competition, or how many people will be locked in front of their TV sets once the NCAA tournament gets started. People will go so far as skipping work and class to see games- or perhaps they will just sneak in a lap top or IPOD so that they can watch or listen to the games in class. Basketball is a big deal!

So as Selection Sunday approaches, I anxiously await and try to figure out which bubble teams are in and which will get bounced. The past months' games are all culminating at the conference tournaments. This is the time when teams' hard work either pays off or their hopes are dashed. This is the time that every player, coach, and fan loves best: March- where basketball rules the brain.

Yoga: Stretching the Body and Mind

Downward Dog. Warrior 1. Sun Salutation. Child's Pose. If you've ever taken a yoga class before, then these terms might be familiar to you. My senior year of high school I really got into power yoga at my local YMCA and felt myself not only getting some flexibility back and getting stronger, but I was more aware of my stress level and breathing. It's really eye-opening to see how my everyday breathing varied from my breathing when I was nervous, and how both of those were so much different from the relaxed, deep breathing that we did in yoga.

Here at Luther I was pretty excited when I saw that they offered yoga classes (along with other exercise classes like pilates and kickboxing). I've attended a yoga class a couple of times, and it provided a nice break from my normal, busy routine. The class here focuses a lot on relaxation, closing your mind from outside thoughts, and just focusing on your body and your breathing at that moment-something I don't think many students take the time to do.

This past week I've been reintroduced to some yoga techniques and I've realized how helpful yoga could be for me if I took the time to practice it. Last Friday before I raced my first indoor 5K at our conference meet (25 laps) I was pretty anxious. I was anxious about the various competitors and just about running for almost 20 minutes on the same oval. I could almost feel the nervous energy pulsing through my body. So to calm myself down I did this breathing exercise that I had learned in yoga. It's called a "breath of fire". You exhale through your nose 9 times fast (without inhaling in between, just keep exhaling until most of the air in you is gone) and then on the tenth time inhale deeply. Not only does it clean our your sinuses, but for me it just has a calming effect. That exercise definitely helped me to calm myself before the race and as a bonus, I ended up doing much better than I ever expected.

And then this week in Personal Fitness and Wellness we did yoga as our physical activity. It was great to take time and stretch my body, helping me reconnect with my muscles that I didn't even realize were tight. As a college student it is easy to get so wrapped up in classes, homework, friends, and sports that I neglect good posture. Some days with my backpack so full I get home at night and feel my back aching. So to do yoga in class was a great way to stretch and strengthen my body and also just to take time to de-stress. What a great way to deal with the stress that comes along with Paideia papers!

I'll have to keep in mind how great I felt during that session and take more time to practice yoga on my own. And when I need a quick-pick-me-up, I might even give that headstand pose a try.