Stop thief! That belongs to Baldwin

February 20, 2004
by Samantha Carr
Features Editor

It’s the middle of winter and your inner child is begging to come out as the sparkling snow beckons.

You grab your hat and gloves and head outside, looking for the perfect place to go. You have a snowball fight and make a snow angel, but realize that it isn’t quite enough. Quickly, you realize what you are missing: sledding.

You ponder what to do, knowing Victory Park and its hill is only a quarter mile away. But you’re a college student, so a sled isn’t exactly something you have stowed in your dorm room. Then it hits you: Baldwin trays!

Heading for your next meal with a sly smile on your face, you take two food trays instead of just one. You make sure to sit in a large group of people, or a far corner of the cafeteria so you can hide the extra food tray in your jacket or bag. Looking around to make sure no one is watching, you slowly hide the tray and make it outside.

While many students find it an amusing stunt to take the trays, staff in the cafeteria don’t think so.

"Each year we lose many trays," said Steve Schnorr, head of dining services. "We put that number at around at least 100. Traying has been a longstanding tradition for over 50 years, but this tradition has cost the school money. One year, the school lost over three hundred trays."

While it may be a leap to imagine a hundred Albion students flying down the Victory Park hill, the allure of the stunt seems to dominate students’ sense of cafeteria respect.

Heading to Victory Park is a way for many students to enjoy the winter fun when they are not able to make it home for the weekend. Victory Park offers a medium sized hill that allows those on sleds--or trays--to travel down at various speeds.

"They are great makeshift sleds," said Justin Hiller, Franklin senior. "I like to coat the bottom with Crisco to reduce friction, and to get them going real fast."

But what is the driving force behind taking trays?

"It was done for the glory of taking a tray," said Corrie Hathaway, Owosso first-year.

"We try to stop students we see taking trays, but as you know, students are resourceful," Schnorr said.

This resourcefulness can be hiding the tray in a book bag, inside a jacket, or even walking out at a discreet angle.

"My jacket is big and poofy--it worked well," Hathaway said.

Meghan McGuigan, Albion sophomore, has been sledding at Victory Park since she was young. "I didn’t like the big kids being on the hill with their trays when I was little, but now I’m one of them," McGuigan said. "I think it’s awesome that everyone goes there now and can have fun and act like a little kid again."

While many might think it’s only students who take trays, Schnorr admitted that he tried the "sport" once.

"I have tried sledding on a tray and have found it difficult to control," Schnorr said. "They are a bit small for my advanced age and widening body."

The fad has been around for over 50 years, and it seems as though it could last for at least another 50 years. Whatever the length of time may be, Schnorr does have one request: "If they are left in good condition, we would gladly accept the return of any trays."