“No food or drink in the classroom”, I can still hear my old teacher’s voices ringing in my ears. If you’ve ever been a student of a strict high school there is no doubt that you have heard this annoying “old school” phrase repeated over and over again. But just as you’ve heard from those older student that have made it to college, all of those silly high school rules seemed to go out the window once you graduate and attend college. At least that’s what I used to hear.

If you were anything like me in high school, then you were always sneaking snacks throughout the day behind your teacher’s back or smuggling in those non-water drinks and iced coffees in the doors every morning. But coming to college, that was one of the most liberating things for me; knowing that I could enjoy a coffee or bagel at my morning classes without being reprimanded. That rule being lifted was one of the small steps that I took as a sign of growing up and becoming responsible.

But recently my college, Alfred, has taken the time to put up signs throughout the building that I have a majority of my classes in, indicating “no food or drink in the classroom”. My first reaction when I saw these was shock. College is supposed to be a world where you could do the thing you couldn’t in high school and learn responsibility and practices of the real world. As juvenile and small a rule like no food in the classroom seems it means much more, in terms of freedom and the idea of no rules in college.

Of course when the rule is broken, like it so often is there are no teachers or authority figures to yell or even punish you for this offense, so that leads me to another question. Why have these signs and said rules when people break them anyway without consequence? I think that as a college student being able to chew gum in class, and eat, and drink freely speaks to a lot of students in terms of teaching accountability for you and your trash and messes that can be made.

So I say no to “no food or drink in the classroom” and let’s take back our small liberties as college students and growing young professionals.