It came down to cantaloupe and a bag of chips.

Sophomores Mia Svirsky and David Toppelberg, along with four of their friends, sat in the library doing homework. Svirsky ate some cantaloupe and Toppelberg snacked on some chips. Senior David Ullmann and junior Anna Russo came over to the table for some of Toppelberg’s chips. As they began to eat, librarian Ann Collins spotted the food, rushed to the table and gave all four students detention.

“It was really annoying that I was getting punished for such a small thing, but I understand why they’re doing it,” said Russo. “If they’re not really talking about it, then no one’s going to listen.”

Toppelberg was surprised by the detention.

“I understand why they’ve been giving out detentions, but mostly I was like, ‘Oh man, now I’m going to lose an afternoon,’” said Toppelberg.

The detention policy, recently instated this year, makes its message clear with signs up on the main door of the library, on doors to the conference rooms and on the walls in the back to warn students not to eat. Senior Beth Lazarus said the signs and her friend’s detention made her aware of the policy, though she had never eaten in the library herself.

Collins explained that the increase of rodent sightings due to trash left in the library made the policy necessary.

“It’s really putting an undue burden on the custodian and us, cleaning up after the students,” said Collins.

Last school year, and much of this school year before the policy was instated, wrappers, leftover food and other pieces of trash were regularly left in the library. According to Collins, one student routinely ate soup in one of the study carrels. After he finished, he would leave the empty bowl on the windowsill. One day, a half-eaten sandwich was left in one of the conference rooms.

“I feel like students have always been aware of the policy because of the signage,” said Collins. “So the students who served detention, I don’t think they were that surprised.”

Toppelberg disagrees.

“I didn’t even know there was a rule, and I had actually been doing it all year, and most of last year, too.”

Svirsky had also eaten in the library on multiple occasions, but she was aware of the detention policy. She did not think she would get caught if she sat in the back while eating.

“At some point, I would eat in the middle where people could see me,” said Svirsky. “And as soon as the librarians got more strict about it, I was hiding it or would sit in the back, or hide the food behind my backpack.”

Russo, Svirsky and Toppelberg all agree that some students continue to eat in the library despite the rule against it. However, Collins said the detentions have cut down trash in the library by a significant amount, and the second floor custodian, Clayton Perkins, is happy with the results.

“Hopefully this detention policy will get people to stop eating, and they won’t have to do it anymore,” said Russo. “I’ve never eaten in the library. That was the only time, and I haven’t since.”

Olivia Shiffman can be contacted at [email protected]