So I can't be the only student here that has noticed the size of the dining halls' cups, right? They're tiny!
Next time you walk into Dewick or Carmichael, check out some of the other student's trays when they are in line filling up drinks beside you, and count the number of cups on their trays. Three? Four?
I myself am a four-cupper. In order to get the ideal amount of liquid for a meal, it takes me four Dewick cups. And that is without ice, because the amount of liquid you can fit into the cup is greatly reduced by any addition of ice. Why can't we get normal sized cups?
I do have friends who actually only use one cup with some ice in the bottom of it. And I find it unbelievable. I cannot imagine trying to make it through a meal with only one cup of water. I would be standing up and walking to the water machine probably two or three times just to make it through plate number one, or else I would be parched. And there is nothing worse than trying to enjoy a fresh, tasty Dewick grilled cheese sandwich without a glass of cold water.
Here's the real question: Who thought it would be a good idea to purchase so many tiny, probably 10-ounce cups for a college of young adults aged 18 to 22? I want to meet that guy. I want to stand next to him and say, "Hey! I am six feet, four inches tall, and I want a 16-ounce glass of ice cold milk with my lunch." Where does the problem come in here?
Sure, it would cost some money to invest in a bunch of brand new cups and cup-crates for both of the dining halls. And it probably would not be cheap to buy the lot of them. But think of it this way: With bigger glasses, each student would be using fewer cups at every meal. This would reduce the amount of labor that Dining Services would have to employ, it would reduce the amount of soap that we would be using, and it would reduce the amount of water necessary to clean out hundreds and thousands of tiny plastic cups. Seriously, I cannot believe someone has not come up with this before.
I'm trying hard to think of a downside to this argument. I'm trying to think of someone standing up and screaming, "Well, with more cups, more beverages will be consumed!" It is just not happening. Besides the immediate budget necessary for this project, I am seeing a very reasonable and feasible change here, although a taller glass could make your tray more unsteady while you are walking around (but this is very unlikely).
Maybe it's just me. Maybe I am the sole person here who is completely annoyed by small things like this - I am the person who leaves a lecture if I'm sitting near a sniffler. Maybe I am the only person who after a math test just wants an enormous glass of blue drink. Maybe I am the only person who stocks up four glasses on each tray at every meal since I got to school here two Augusts ago. But I sincerely doubt it.
During my first meal here, I made the mistake of only getting one glass of water, thinking it would be plenty. What a botch. And do not even think about eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with no liquid - it is a near impossibility. Trust me, my friend. I tried, and it was no fun.
Here's the real thing though: When you go to a restaurant, a take-out food joint or a caf?©, do you ever see cups that small? Even the smallest sized cup is never smaller than 12 ounces. Dining services does do a great job here with the food. They can pride themselves on that. However, to stack up next to these restaurants, change is necessary. It is not possible to have an enjoyable meal with a fraction of a serving of a beverage.
So, Dewick man, hear my complaint. I want ... no, I NEED bigger cups! And I am sure there are plenty out there who are with me.
Matthew Murphy is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major.
