One student’s extracurricular science experiment allowed her to discover the bacteria in the Billingsly Student Center.

Shelley Manley, senior biology major, observed the way the food service provider, Sodexho, employees cleaned everything in the Lion’s Den and decided to try something. So she and a friend swabbed four different areas with sterile Q-tips.

They swabbed the tray under the fountain dispenser, the inside of the fountain dispenser, a table top in the eating area and a wooden board employees use for preparing the food.

Then they placed the swabs on special plates and incubated them to promote the ovulation of the bacteria at 98.6 F (normal body temperature) for 48 hours. What they found was that most of the bacteria was on the wooden preparation board.

“There was a substantial amount,” Manley said. “There was enough to cause illness on the wooden table.”

In the lowest swab, there were three to four colonies of bacteria, while on the wooden board there were 10-15 colonies.

The minimal growth was found on the fountain.

The swabbing was done at 11 a.m.

“It was far enough after the breakfast rush and far enough before the lunch rush that they should have been cleaned,” Manley said.

Jason Cummins, environmental health specialist at the Joplin Health Department, said the size of the area swabbed helps determine how serious the number of bacteria found is. He said three to four colonies in an area of 100 square centimeters is about average.

Ron Cooksey, general manager of dining services for Missouri Southern, said Sodexho has passed its inspections “with flying colors.”

He said his staff takes a great deal of care to make sure and follow all the sanitation rules. Even with all the care, though, he said there is always going to be some bacteria.

“That’s why we clean so much,” Cooksey said. “You’re always just going to find bacteria growing on every table.”

He said he is interested to learn the results of the experiment done by Manley.

Manley said before she releases all the results, she is going to conduct the experiment one more time to make sure the results are “justifiable.” She wants everyone to know what’s going on in the cafeteria and thinks the students should know.

“I think that too many times we accept what’s going on, and we don’t do anything about it,” Manley said. “We just did it because we got tired of it.”

She said she observed Sodexho staff using the same rags over and over again to clean everything.

“It’s like reusing dirty mop water to mop the floor again,” Manley said.

Nathan Fischer, freshman undecided major, goes to the Lion’s Den at least once a week.

He thinks the staff keeps it decently clean.

“It’s better than high school,” Fischer said.

He said he isn’t worried about the bacteria found. He thinks the staff does a good job.

“It’s impossible to get it clean,” Fischer said. “There’s bacteria on ourselves as we speak, and we consider ourselves clean.”

Cooksey said the students can help by following the same methods of cleanliness as they were taught at home, including picking up one’s own mess.

“It comes down to being respectful to the next person,” he said.