On the first day of school, optimistic freshmen arrived with boxes full of delicious and tempting refrigerated snacks, but the communal fridge they entrusted to store their precious sustenance soon stood empty. All that remained were crumpled sticky notes lying on the dusty bottom, carrying the forgotten names of theft victims. When a frozen pizza calls your name from just a few steps away, it’s quite difficult to even fathom the lengthy walk to the Dining Hall. Although stealing food has become commonplace in Johnson-Doubleday, boarders snatching their peers’ belongings at Deerfield has led to recent calls for change regarding this lifestyle. However, these calls have only propelled more students to come up with increasingly savvy tactics for stealing and defending. 

   Currently, not only have people been ignoring the post-it notes that explicitly say a name inside the communal fridge, but some go on top-secret missions, rummaging through their friends’ rooms for snacks under the cloak of darkness. One reason for this could be due to the culprit receiving  permission once, but thinking that this obligated kindness applies to whenever. However, in case you need the reminder… it doesn’t.

In the past month, Doubleday has become more like a game between attackers looking for food and defenders storing it. While hungry students find new and innovative ways to steal other peoples’ food unnoticed, the victims test their hiding and locking skills during busy weekend nights when everyone on campus is on the hunt for a bite. 

Since at this point, the communal fridge basically says “rob me” all over it, one of the best strategies I’ve witnessed in the past month for safeguarding food has been someone using their ties and a bike lock to keep people from getting into a box of Oreos and Goldfish. Mini fridges have also become the new meta for both experienced and less experienced kids alike to shield their food from invaders, introducing a second layer of security with the room door. 

At the end of the day, I believe a treaty is possible. Students need to realize that they can get permission to take food if they just ask. Boom, game over. Everyone wins because there is a system of trust which gets rid of this unspoken and never-ending game.

If we create an open environment that fosters sharing while respecting each other and asking before taking, each grade — specifically the freshman class — will thrive. Let’s discontinue this arms race for food. Let’s end this now.  

Next time that last PopTart sitting alone on your friend’s desk looks like paradise itself, don’t let your stomach think before your mind.