John Jay trays

Sample etching

Seemingly uninteresting, John Jay Dining Hall trays took on a life of their own over the years. Many of the trays had been inscribed with 'tray' puns, leaving future tray users with a bit of wit and humor to enjoy their freshman fifteen inducing meals with. Examples of tray carvings include an image of "Tray Guevara", "John Tray", "Sexual Frustraytion", "Traydo-Masochism", etc. More images of tray art can be found on The Bwog[1].

The trays, in addition to the graffiti, have been popularized as makeshift sleds for sledding on The Steps or in Riverside Park on heavy snow days.

Following the 2003-2004 school year, Dining Services replaced all of the trays in John Jay Dining Hall. However, tray puns found their way back onto the new set of trays. Unfortunately, with the start of the 2008-2009 academic year, the trays have been permanently removed from John Jay by Columbia University Dining Services, citing environmental benefits due to reduced water and soap consumption, reduction in overeating, and "authentic New York experience," sans trays.

The response has generally been negative due to inconvenience, but there is no indication that these impromptu fiberglass canvases will ever make a comeback to John Jay. The fate of the cleverly carved trays is unknown and Dining Sevices missed a golden opportunity to hold a charity auction for some of the more remarkable trays and pay homage to the end of a tradition.

Quasi-witty etchings

• Mothafuckas act like they forgot about Tray.
• Shall I compare thee to a summer's tray?
• All work & no tray make John Jay a dull boy.
• She moves in mysterious trays.
• Sustaining the grand traydition, one tray at a time.

External links

• Bwog's piece "Tray-spotting"