csbsjurecord.com � Page 3
Sept. 16, 2011� The Record
SJU Refectory struggles for sustainability
By Taylor Reaves
tdreaves@csbsju.edu
In the attempts to go trayless, the Ref. remains a step behind Gorecki �� twenty feet to be exact. The Ref.'s continued usage of trays is the result of logistical challenges that make transitioning out of the question until plans for a reno�vation have been finalized. Until then, St. John's Dining Services is committed to initiating their own set of sustainable practices.
A recent sustainability initia�tive at St. Ben's transitioned the Gorecki Dining Center into a tray�less facility without the need for a
system renovation. However, the Ref. was not as fortunate.
The Ref. is designed around a belt system that is dependent on a tray to maneuver dishes into the dish room. As of now, trays travel to a point that is two feet inside the dish room, where they are then transferred onto
another belt. Without the use of a tray, there is currently no way for dishes to transfer onto the follow�ing belt.
Dave Schoenberg, Director of Dining Services at SJU, is now faced with a challenge. After the banning of trays at Gorecki, tray use at the Ref. has declined as a result.
While the Ref. encourages
sustainability, trays still remain a vital mechanism to the belt system that remains in place.
"While the students' intentions are good, the system is dependent on a tray," Schoenberg said. "The problem is how I communicate that and still remain an advocate for sustainability."
Schoenberg is currently in the process of creating preliminary designs for the system renovation. The plan is to realign the belt that goes into the dish room so that it can extend another twenty feet. This would allow for solitary items to travel into the dish room with�out the support of a tray, where workers could then remove the items from the belt.
"I am certainly a supporter of this (renovation), but I also think it would be important for the community to want to this and to be part of that too," Schoenberg said.
This past year, SJU Dining
Services has made it a priority to put aside in a Capital Improve�ment Budget to prepare for the impending change. The invest�ment is predicted to be approxi�mately $140,000 total. The Ref hopes to be in position to go tray�less by June 1, 2012 if the CSB/SJU community decide to move forward with the renovation.
"(The renovation) really needs to be student-driven," Schoenberg said. "We would do it because
students are asking to do it and to support this idea of sustainability, as well as making the best of their food dollar and their meal plan."
Along with efforts to go trayless, SJU Dining Services is actively working to improve its relation�ship with the land, the communi�ty and local food producers. They are seeking to reduce negative environmental impacts, increase productivity and build a sustain�able community while reducing operating costs.
Sustainable practices within Ref. include conservation of water and electricity through the use of computer controlled lighting and thermostats, recycling and reusing materials and purchasing energy-saving products such as 100 per�cent recycled napkins. The Ref. is also making an effort to purchase the majority of its food locally, which would allow SJU Dining Services to offer a better quality of food on the seasonal menus.
"An initiative of ours is how we design our menus," Schoenberg said. "We position the food so that these fresh fruits and vegetables and grains are much more avail�able."
Sexton Dining has seen changes from recent initiatives at the start of this year as well. In an effort to recycle, an excavating company will pick up the frying oils from Sexton to be reused as bio-diesel fuels. Also, as of this year, Sexton will purchase all of its burgers from a local meat market in St. Joseph, Minn.
"We are always looking at
using our resources wisely," Schoenberg said. "If we can
order things that are local, I think then that the quality of the food is
better as well."
Although the SJU dining
centers are continuing to look for ways to improve. Future goals include offering smaller portion options, initiating a "scrape your plate" promotion and encouraging a reusable mug program.
Research at St. Cloud State
University, the University of
Minnesota and other institutions around the country led Judy Pur�man, Director of Sustainability at CSB, to believe that going trayless at Gorecki will benefit the CSB/SJU community. Purman said
going trayless will lead to a
decrease in food waste and a
decrease in the cost of clean-up services.
"If we're not generating as much and (students aren't) taking as much, we are cutting some cost there," Purman said. "It's a small thing, but very effective thing to do to reduce our consumption."
CSB is in the process of tracking the amount of food waste at Gore�cki in hopes that the numbers will show evidence of a decline over time. Also, a current psychological study at CSB is focusing on how the students, faculty, staff and
administration have perceived the recent change in the dining hall. This study, as well as the numbers produced by Gorecki, will provide SJU Dining Services with a sense of whether or not the CSB/SJU community is looking to pursue a trayless system within the Ref.
"The system is
dependant on a tray,"
-Dave Schoenberg
SJU Director of Dining Services
EVAN GRUENES � etgruenes@csbsju.edu
The Refectory Dining Service at St. John's during the dinner rush. A trayless system identical to its counterpart at CSB, the Gorecki Dining Center, is planned for summer 2012.
Lounge redesigned
By Eddie Hanlon
emhanlon@csbsju.edu
With Homecoming steadily approaching, visiting alumni and students will have a newly redesigned Sexton Commons to
welcome them.
For the past 18 months, the SJU Alumni Association has worked with the St. John's Design
Committee to develop St. John's Illuminated, a project using a mixture of traditional and
modern displays to better explain the
history and heritage of SJU to visi�tors and current students.
"When people visit St. John's, it is incredibly beautiful," said Aaron Smith, SJU �92, Co-Chair of the Alumni Communications &
Marketing Committee and Pro�prietor and Creative Director of Smitty's Workshop. "It's like an architectural and nature mu�seum, and you can really get a good sense of place from a visit at St. John's but unless you talk to somebody who knows a lot about the history and the heritage, you might not really learn anything about the school."
The displays in Sexton, created to resemble a museum exhibit, will consist of large pictures and signs, video presentations, touch-screen computers and an interac�tive website for smart phones.
The signs are designed to be easily replaced with updated
information for different events and will include information and pictures from the both the univer�sity and the Abbey's archives. They will not only explain the history of the institutions but also celebrate the achievements of St. John's
students.
"There will be some really big imagery but there also will be some details. Visitors won't just see a cool picture of the St. John's Bible or Blake Elliot running for a touchdown in the national championship game," Smith said. "They'll have an opportunity to look at the picture then get up close and read a little about it."
During the installation of the larger signs, there may be fewer seats available in the Fireside Lounge, but all other areas of
Sexton should be open as usual. Once installed, the computers will only remain on during the hours Sexton is open, and the monitors will be in sleep mode when not in use. A future goal of the project is to use the screensavers to promote upcoming events on campus.
Although it is meant to serve as a resource for admissions to help inform prospective students and their parents, Smith hopes it will also be more than an information�al tour for current students.
"One of the goals of the Alum�nae Association is to make contact with current students and help them find jobs after college or be there as a resource," Smith said. "This project hopes to provide a space where students and alum�nae might actually bump into each other and strike up a conver�sation."
Smith wants to emphasize that while the artwork in Sexton may be slightly altered and augment�ed, and the name will be changed from Fireside to Alumni Lounge, the function of the space will re�main the same.
EVAN GRUENES � etgruenes@csbsju.edu
The Fireside Lounge, a popular student resting area in Sexton Commons at St. John's, will be converted to an alumni area that will be completed by Homecoming on Sept. 24. The project is led by the SJU Alumni Association and the St. John's Design Committee.
BAN
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stations cost around $22,000 to install, the school looks to make a return on investment after the first year. By eliminating the costs of purchasing water bottles, the school looks to counter all profits made by previous sales.
"Students have the right to bring water bottles," said Judy Purman, Director of Sustainability at CSB. "The policy only bans the sale of water bottles and the use of the college's funds to purchase them."
However, the CSB/SJU
College Republicans still are not sold on the idea of using coercion for sustainable efforts. As they see it, what is good for one person is not necessarily the case for every�one. Paul believes that the school's attempts to force people into
having different values will have a detrimental result.
"What's next, certain light-bulbs that must comply with energy regulations that cost thousands of dollars to install, causing tuition hikes?" Paul said. "We are here to assess this ban and make sure there is another voice heard in this discussion."
Funding from the state wide College Republicans Organization provided the CSB/SJU College Republicans with water bottles for the protest. They hoped that by demonstrating in a peaceful way, they could make a significant impact on the students.
CSB is currently the ninth school out of ten schools in the U.S. to implement a water bottle ban.
