By John “Flavortown” Connors
Staff Writer
On the morning of February 22, the students of the University of the South awoke to utter chaos in their beloved McClurg Dining Hall caused by one simple event: the removal of the paper cups. Having been an essential component of the Sewanee Dining package for some time, paper cups allowed for students to grab snacks to-go, a cup of coffee on the run, and even a kebab when available. Unfortunately, these beautiful cups are no longer with us, and a majority of the student body is outraged.
Jacob Bruner (C’20) had this to say: “It is ridiculous that students who live fast-paced lives are unable to get food to-go, let alone beverages in cups that can be cheap, biodegradable, and not a heavy burden upon the University, dining hall, and the environment.”
The removal of the cups has caused a call to arms to occur on the Sewanee Dining Advisory Group (SDAG) on Facebook as many students demanded an explanation for this crime and called for the immediate return of the cups.
Director of dining operations, Chef Rick Wright, said in a press release on Friday that the cups are no longer being deployed in McClurg due to the fact that we, as a University, waste “487,000 paper cups an academic year.” To help ease rising tensions, Chef Rick plans to have a “Grill the Director” series starting on Tuesday, February 27, in which students will be given the opportunity to ask any pressing questions that they may have regarding the Cup-pocalypse.
Although there is little hope for the return of the paper cups, Chef Rick and the McClurg staff hope that students will now bring in their own reusable cups to help prevent unnecessary waste.