Dishes were abundant in the trash dump and were objects that fundamentally changed how pupils viewed the organization of traditional family meals. The use of dishes and eating utensils at school ritually instilled in the student lessons of social order, curtesy, and health awareness three times a day. One of the most unusual experiences confronting the pupils was that of the dining hall. Not only was the kind of food served in the dining hall different from home, but the manner in which it was served (on dishes), the way it was expected to be consumed (with utensils, and seated at a table with permanently assigned seating), its quantity, and its regularity in appearance starkly contrasted with reservation meals. The large quantity and regularity of meals was primarily intended to keep pupils healthy, especially in a context where deadly diseases such as pneumonia, measles, tuberculosis were prevalent. The context of serving and consuming food, however, had as lasting an impact on pupils as the kinds and quantities of food they ate. On the reservation, food often was consumed in a family setting, sitting around a hearth and sharing from a communal vessel. Eating was probably done with the hands. This image contrasts with the school image of row after row of dining tables set with plates and utensils, each pupil in his or her assigned place. While the manner of eating off plates with forks and knives was intended to be taught as the "civilized" way to eat, it also was a more sanitary way to eat, inhibiting the transmission of disease. Each pupil literally had his or her own place and utensils, which, after use, were thoroughly cleaned by other students. Cleanliness and sanitation were lessons that became associated with dishes. Once pupils became accustomed to eating food and the sanitary customs of the dining hall, it was difficult or impossible for many to return home and eat food in a communal manner.