Most Diablo Valley College students have experienced problematic parking, impacted registration and ridiculously long lines for food. Recently, unwanted trash around campus has also become part of the DVC experience.

In 1950 the original DVC campus only accommodated a mere 300 East Bay students. According to a DVC Self Evaluation Report in 2014, DVC’s student body has averaged around “20,000 students every semester since 2000.”

DVC has undergone several face lifts since. Most recently, the old cafeteria, culinary department and student service’s buildings were demolished and replaced with new state of the art facilities. 

The new eateries specifically have increased the amount of food students purchase and consume on campus, however the new digs clashing with the surrounding aging classrooms has led to an odd problem: not enough trash cans for the new DVC.

The cafeteria has an entire wall dedicated to displaying color coordinated trash and recycling bins. In comparison, the Crow’s Nest near the Advanced Science Building has only two “garbage only” trash receptacles, a plastic trash bin and one recycling center.

 The Crow’s Nest feeds about 200 – 300 students a day. The increasing popularity has caused an increase in traffic as well as trash, and as a result trashcans are found filled to the brim with their famous black trays.

Biology Professor Dr. Gabriele Weitzel explains how “trash has always been a problem here on campus. We fought hard to bring recycling containers to campus, these blue bins are relatively new.”

“Science students around here work non-stop and need quick food, these students do not have time to walk all the way down to the new cafeteria,” said Dr. Weitzel, “causing the Crow’s Nest line to grow incredibly long and their black plastic containers are filling trash cans.”

Even the cafeteria and express line are affected due to the increasing student body, leaving DVC trashed.

The culinary department and cafeteria received a million dollar department upgrade which included two new kitchens, a bake shop, and buffet on top of the regular cafeteria.

Chef Paul, culinary department instructor said the the former facility was, “the absolute worst kitchen in California, now DVC has one of the best kitchens in the nation.” 

Following the trend of demolishing the old and bringing in the new, the area surrounding the Crow’s Nest should be replaced with new facilities that can accommodate the influx of students and their remains. More color coded trash and recycling centers should be made more prominent throughout campus making it easier for students to properly dispose of their garbage. This would not only alleviate the trash problem on campus, but help the environment as well.

~ Spring 2017 Editorial board