ELIZABETH SIMS
Social Media Editor
I have noticed an issue that has branched out and affected more than just our cozy little Wesleyan family, touching visiting families and potential new students as well. I see it almost every time I go into Boyd, infecting my mood and frustrating me to no end. I am talking about the increasingly noticeable negative attitude coming from the Sodexo staff in Boyd. In asking the staff and the students what causes the stuffy, grumpy attitudes, I ended up with a triangle effect to the truth outcome. You know there are always three sides to a story.
When I talked to the staff, most said they really enjoyed working at the college. They like most of the students and have never really had problems. However, when asked what bothered them the most, the answer was almost universally the same: the rude treatment they receive from students. It seems that students have started taking advantage of hardworking staff, giving them attitude and even being outright mean. What’s up, students? Are we really being cruel? If so, let me be the first to say how disappointed I am. We are so much better than petty squabbles that act out because we do not agree with the portion size or the choice of cereal we have this week. Pull it together.
However, I have so much faith in the student body and I would like to assume that no one is in the dining hall having hissy fits and throwing plates of food, not that I have seen flying pasta anywhere. Though I admit, I would find that very entertaining. So, I posed the same question to the students: why do you think the Sodexo staff is always so grumpy? That got me quite a few varied responses. A large number of students say they have never seen any other students treat the staff with anything but respect. Now, that is an unabashed lie and if you believe it, you are excessively gullible. I have seen students demand more per portion from Mrs. Lena or get sassy at Russ when he asks what they want for breakfast. Stop. If you are the person that does that, you are being rude and it makes you look like a Neanderthal.
So, what it really comes down to, no matter which side of the story you believe, is common courtesy. It is a trait our generation seems to be lacking, and a quality we need to learn quickly. Otherwise, we will not get very far in life. I am not saying that it is all the fault of the student body. Trust me; I have seen a worker push a visiting family out of the way to wipe off the salad counter. However, if we, as students, grow up a bit and show that we can take the first steps toward being mature adults, then we show the workers that we are worthy of respect. And if we gain their respect, I guarantee we’ll stop seeing frowning faces and hearing rude remarks, but we’ve got to start the trend.
