A Culture of Complaining
Below, I have copied an email addressed to our university administration, regarding the state of dining affairs here at Taylor. I’ve made it available online for the purpose of distribution (so I can send it to people). Read it if you’d like.
Vice President — ,
While it is evident that the student dining experience has left something to be desired this academic year (obviously the pest issues, building closures, and momentary food supply issues have not been ideal), I thought I would take a moment to express my appreciation for Parkhurst Dining and the good work they have done. Though those given to incessant complaining have, at times, found legitimate concerns to attach themselves to, it has been my experience that much of the Taylor student body is losing patience — not with Parkhurst Dining, but with the entitled spirit evident in a vocal minority of dissatisfied students. More seriously, this same entitlement has been evident in much of Taylor’s communications to students and parents regarding our dining services.
The willingness of our administration to publicly ‘throw Parkhurst under the bus’ has been unprofessional and evidently discordant. In addition to being a bad look for the school, these communications have seemed to wrongly perceive 1) the actual quality of Parkhurst’s work, and 2) the general state of satisfaction among the student body. The emails sent to students and parents to this point have, to put it bluntly, reeked of hidden resentment and internal conflict — presumably based upon the wrongly informed notion that dissatisfaction with our dining services is universal.
When I arrived on campus this Fall, for example, I inquired about the dining services to some beloved upperclassmen, who are unfortunately inclined to complaining. To paraphrase, they basically told me that they disliked the food before, and they disliked it now. Instead of describing those few things that they did enjoy in positive terms, they described those foods they truly enjoyed as “Not quite as bad as everything else.” I say this to illustrate — those inclined to complaining rarely, if ever, vocalize their satisfaction with the food, they are deliberately looking for something to detract from and whine about (this is not just limited to food — by the way). These detractors are almost upset when they are forced to admit that (owning to an evening of particularly good food at the Dining Commons) the food was not actually so bad. Through this spirit of complaining is undoubtedly a pattern and problem on campus, this vocal group still represents a relatively small portion of the student body, in my expierence. For the sake of student surveys and requests for feedback, negative selection bias is undoubtedly evident — those who desire to complain are going to fill out available forms, eager to advance their complaint wherever they’ll be heard. This to say — do not assume that this state of dissatisfaction is universal.
Frankly, if our administration expects to satisfy those students and parents inclined towards incessant complaining, I believe they will be sorely disappointed, again, by AVI Fresh and their services during this upcoming academic year. Soon enough, the university will discover that the root of the problem has little to do with the food, but instead has everything to do with that culture of entitlement and complaining that is now being placated and fed by our administration’s communications. In addition to seeing this attitude as corrosive and uncharitable, I am selfishly fed up with being subjected to listen to such conversations — to be made complicit in the pseudo-outrage and entitlement of others by my proximity.
These conversations almost always assume an air of superiority and disgust, as the initiator invites and expects others to share in the act of complaining and detracting. To defend the dining experience is not well-received. Through these conversations, students who were previously content with the dining services are recruited to the ranks of complainers by their neutrality — the self-appointed spokespersons imagines themself complaining on behalf of the whole group, not realizing that many of those listening do not quite share in their parasitic negativity. Not exactly Christ-like.
I have spent the time to type this email, not because I am simply intent on correcting an error in perception about the student body’s actual state of satisfaction, but because I believe this spirit of entitlement is a serious cultural issue running through a current of the student body, and I have been upset to see much of this same attitude reflected in the administration’s public communications.
Finally, I do want to acknowledge that I am aware of my limited perspective: many students have dietary preferences and tastes more particular than mine (and those who similarly are fans of the Dining Commons). Though I would still encourage them to embody a spirit of gratitude and patience (and to work on branching out to try new foods, where possible), I know that navigating dining choices can be more difficult for such persons. Additionally, I would imagine that the administration has an internal experience working with Parkhurst Dining that I, as a satisfied outside observer, am not privy to. With this in mind, I nevertheless think it is important to put in a good word: my experience of Parkhurst Dining Services and the Hutson Dining Commons has been deeply enjoyable. And perhaps this is because I have approached each meal ready and expecting to enjoy.
The food is pretty good. We will live. The culture of entitlement that has become evident on campus is a problem. It should be addressed. With God’s grace, may we — as a whole and unified Taylor Community — finally learn to give thanks in all circumstances, as is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
David Musser
