Colleges Ditch Trays; Students Learn to Juggle

College students may feel they’ve added juggling to their courseloads as the trayless cafeteria trend picks up steam, the Los Angeles Times reports. The increasingly popular measure, meant to save water and electricity, often meets with a sort of grudging acquiescence. “It's definitely difficult and a little bit inconvenient,” says one student in a precarious situation. “But I like the intentions. The intentions are good.”

Food services company Aramark says 60% of the 600 campuses it services have gone trayless, and rival Sodexo estimates 40% of its clients have switched. Though colleges say the move results in less waste, and that savings pays for better food and amenities, some students aren’t buying it. One Michigan school torpedoed the plan because, well, the students like to use the trays as sleds. In sunny California, a student has a different problem: “The more time I spend on lunch, the less time I spend studying." (More college student stories.)