How I got Ice Cream Machines at UW-Madison Dining Halls

My freshman year, after a cookie slid off my plate, the thought hit me: there should be trays at the dining hall. I didn't like having to carry all my plates, and I thought it would be much more convenient if we had trays. I wrote on the white board in the hallway outside my dorm room, "Do you want trays at the dining hall?" An hour went by and the white board was filled with tallies. I realized I wasn't alone in wanting trays. I started to research who the head of the dining hall was. After seeing his picture I was ready to approach him next time I saw him. The very next day, wearing a bright red bowtie, and commanding the dining hall operation, there he stood.

I went up to him a gave him my pitch. "The trays would reduce waste by preventing dropped plates and bowls. They would even reduce traffic in the dining hall since people wouldn't have to go back and forth as often! Look at this survey I took that shows that this is what students want" He looked at me for a second, and then told me that trays were not going to happen.

I felt my quest was just beginning. I began researching next steps, and even planned my run for student government. However, the next day the magical Bow Tie man approach me as I stood in line for a sandwich. He told me he was impressed with my survey, and that there is a Dining Advisory Board that I can work for to help shape the dining hall experience for all students. This was a no brainer.

I started attending the meetings with the top chefs and administrators and saw how the inner workings of the operation. After a few meetings I had a eureka moment. How can we live in Wisconsin -- The Dairy State -- and not have an ice cream machine in the dining hall? I pitched my idea to the board and was told that the machines break, and college kids don't like ice cream. I asked if I could prove that this is what the students want if they would consider it. They said they would consider.

So, I set up a table with my fellow dining advisory board members and began asking students to sign our petition if they wanted ice cream machines. I made posters for the petition and spread them on social media. In a matter of days, we received over 800 signatures.

At the next Dining Advisory Board meeting we presented the results of our petition. The administration was blown away. A few months later, they announced they would be purchasing an ice cream machine. The machine was installed and instantly had a line form. The machine was so successful that the university decided to install machines at every dining hall on campus.

Sometimes all it takes for something to happen is for someone to will change into reality.