Met Cafe installs security

The Metamorphosis Café’s employees installed a new Detex alarm system after reports of students sneaking in food director Shannon Mariani said.
“A couple of students reported them to us,” he said.

Since the beginning of the fall semester, an estimated 20 to 30 students ate a meal without first paying. Mariani said students who were already in the building would open back doors to let students in.

“When we suspect someone has snuck in we politely ask them to swipe their card again to check if they’ve paid,” he said. So far of the 30 estimated students, employee’s caught only 10 students and asked them to pay but with the alarm that number will hopefully decrease, Mariani said.

The alarm system’s purpose is to be used for emergency purposes, but will activate when open reducing the chances of sneaking in, he said. “Last year was really bad,” Mariani said. “They propped the stairwell door open with a cone.”

This year students are speaking out against those sneaking in he said. They report the students to authoritative figures as well as confront them personally, he said. “I think the students really help,” Mariani said. “Sometimes peer pressure is used for the positive.”

When students sneak into the Met without paying it affects the income earned he said. If two students avoided payment every time the met served meals, the total loss at the end of the semester would be more than $5,000.The income lost affects the amount of dishes, employment, and the quality of the food. Mariani said.

“The menu hasn’t been changed except for the positive Mariani said. “We cut back on other costs like the amount of plates.”