The Blackhawk Food Court is known as a fine dining center on campus with quality meals and a formal dining atmosphere.

Recently, Blackhawk swapped its silverware and china for plastic utensils and paper plates. The change, however, was temporary and the dining center has stopped using disposable dishes.

“We were short staffed and … I actually offered it to the manager down there to make things easier for the workers,” said Karen Villano, director of food services at the Holmes Student Center. “We’ve done that in the past before like when we had the dish machine break down.”

Sean Shesgreen, a research professor in the English department, felt betrayed by the change to cheaper materials.

“I’ve eaten at the Blackhawk since 1969, twice a day … I went in and the dishes were changed, there was no announcement, no notice, no courtesy,” Shesgreen said.

According to Shesgreen, Blackhawk serves an important need, not only to faculty like himself who live in DeKalb, but also to the entire NIU community. He is pleased Blackhawk has gone back to their old ways.

“I’m thrilled that they reversed their anti-environmental policy and have gone back to doing what the Blackhawk has been doing for 40-some years,” Shesgreen said.

The change to plasticware cheapened Blackhawk’s image, Shesgreen said.

“The Blackhawk is a classy place and I’m glad to see it back in pristine form,” he said. “It’s a tribute to Karen Villano’s good sense that she was able to see the decision was wrong and to reverse it.”

Although rumors have circulated that fine dishes were replaced because of a need to reduce dining staff, Villano says this is not true.

“You can’t get rid of kitchen staff,” Villano said. “I’ve always supported hiring students and we have a lot of student employees.”

HSC director Mitch Kielb said the rationale behind the change has been misunderstood.

“It has nothing to do with budget, it was for reasons of necessity,” Kielb said. “There’s really no story.”

The problem has been solved, according to Villano, who said the silverware replaced the plastic utensils after new employees were hired.