Malpractices - Lim - Canteen Etiquette

CANTEEN (BAD) BEHAVIOUR

It’s 12:00 noon, Rina is half tired and half hungry. She goes straight to the back canteen with nothing in her mind but the crispy fried chicken that the canteen always serves. As she steps inside, a single drop of sweat runs across her temple. It is no surprise that she sees the canteen swarming with parents, college, and elementary students at this hour. As usual, all sits are taken. She waits patiently until, fortunately, she sees a group of college students leaving their table. She notices that as they leave, they do not even bother to bring their plates with the scraps of chicken and half-empty Icecapade cups to the designated area. The table is a filthy sight. A sight that make Rina lose the ravenous appetite she had just moments ago. The crispy fried chicken is now completely out of her mind. Half tired and half furious, she decided to just leave the canteen in order to keep her sanity.

Rina, a second year college student, is not the first to go through the above experience. It is a fact that most Ateneo students leave their plates, cups, mineral water bottles, junk food wrappers and other variety of trash at the table after they have enjoyed its contents, ignoring a most basic table etiquette.

One of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University cooperative workers, Mark (not his real name), says that in his eight years of working at the back and front cafeterias, he observed that
the condition of the canteen actually worsens with each year. Not because the canteen has gotten older, but because the students using the canteen as has become more irresponsible and more apathetic with each passing year.

Mark explained that the canteen administration has tried many things to improve cleanliness at the canteens and to discipline the students. From pop-up reminders at each table to ten minute TV infomercials inside the back canteen. None of these helped, he said. Now, instead of pop-ups, they placed font-size 42 reminders at each table hoping that this will be the solution to their problem.

These days symbols or signs are being used in order to persuade people from purchasing and doing certain things. Like the Olay Total Effects that fights the seven signs of skin ageing and Nido that shows the seven signs of good nutrition. These products used signs in order to make us realize that “Oh! I have to try Olay because I have fine lines and all.”

In this case, cleanliness is being sold. And here are the seven signs why you should start bringing your dirty plate to the designated area and throw your trash in the proper receptacle.

One, it will not take away even a minute of your precious time. Now, there is no point in saying “I’m in a hurry or I have not time.”

Two, it is a matter of knowing the basic table etiquette. Now is the time to practice it. Discipline yourself.

Three, it is the simplest way of showing respect to other. Think about the next person using the table. Remember that the table is not your property.

Four, you will help save the time of one of the canteen’s employees. It is a way of showing respect and kindness toward them.

Five, it is a way of showing that you care about being clean. What’s better way of showing that you are a clean person than by disposing your own trash properly?

Six, it is good for the eyesight. Nothing looks better than a sparkling clean table.

Seven, it feels great knowing that you did something good. It actually feels like receiving a reward.

These are just seven ways of thinking of it. There are millions of people out there. And so there are millions of ways of thinking. But consider that sometimes it is not about what you think or what others think. Just look at what is presented in front of you, if this is for the better, then follow it.

Simply follow the rule. Nothing will be lost.