The Justice

Macdougall recalled that theft has been a problem at Usdan for many years. "It's been going on as long as I've been here, so I don't think that it will stop," she said.

She said that the thefts do not hurt Aramark, but instead have a negative effect on students. He said that the only consequence of stealing has been price increases at the C-store to make up for the loss, as the thieves are hardly ever caught or penalized.

"The prices here are out of sight," Macdougall said.

Like Zayas, Macdougall said that the problem of regular thefts causes prices to rise. "Students don't understand that," she said.

Macdougall explained that vandalism as a means to theft has also been a problem. "Three times [students] have broken the door to steal things down there," she said, pointing to the cabinet by the C-store door. "One girl was stealing the whole case of plastic silverware. I said: 'You can't do that!' And the student replied 'Why not?'"

Zayas said that the theft is not about need, but about the pleasure in stealing itself. "Once I called a girl out," he said. "I'd be watching her for a long time. … When I checked her card, she had over 1,000 points in her account."

Zayas said he knows of five prominent "rings of students," as he called them, who divert the employees' attention by making noise while the others runs out with merchandise. He said that students may think that he doesn't notice, but Zayas is well-aware of the stealing.

Despite his long-term understanding of the problem, Zayas said that "I can't call security, because then [the students] will be in trouble."

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