By Anyssa Alonso
Sophomore Alexandria Schaffer waits to receive her lunch. Photo by: Anyssa Alonso
The bell sounds at 11:00 a.m., and a majority of students drop what they are doing and walk down the hallways with only one thing on their minds: lunch. Lunch, the paramount part of the day for many, has finally arrived. Bursting through the double doors of the the Red Rock Café, students flood the cafeteria lines impatiently awaiting their turn to receive their meal. However, something is not the same. The cafeteria is lacking the familiar warm smell of baking food in the oven, and there is not a trace of food in sight. One can only image how students would react if this scenario were true. Luckily, PHS is privileged with an enthusiastic crew which, five days a week, provides lunch as well as breakfast for the over 1,000 members of the student body.
“There is not a typical day [of work],” exclaims kitchen manager Mrs. Jane Williams. The menu is never the same, so the preparation process varies as well. The earliest shifts begin at 5:30 a.m. and the latest ends at 2:00 p.m. The crew consists of 13 ladies who prepare between 650‒1,000 hot lunches each weekday. This number excludes all of the cold sandwiches and salads also offered at lunch. According to Mrs. Williams, one person does most of the cooking and five others help prepare and serve the food. There are also four cashiers who make the lines flow more smoothly. New this school year, the self-scanning system allows students to scan their personal ID cards even faster. Although the lines may move swiftly, the time spent savoring food continues to be lengthy.
Food server Wilda Burt stated, “[the most popular food item amongst students is] a tie between Bosco Sticks and chicken and noodles.” Many of the ladies also stated chicken and noodles and Bosco Sticks as their favorite school lunches to eat as well; along with hot dogs, nacho spuds, biscuits and gravy, and chicken sandwiches which are also popular favorites amongst students. Although the lunch menu never fails to be delicious, students also have alternative options from the à-la-carte lines. Options in these lines range from chips to beef jerky and Pop-Tarts to granola bars, however all items follow PHS’s wellness program.
“Working with a great bunch of girls [is my favorite part of my job],” shares cashier Gina Brown, “We are always having fun. [And] the kids are okay too!” Minus the humor the kitchen staff does enjoy their interactions with students. In agreement Mrs. Williams adds, “[My favorite part of my job is] working with young adults.” The students also enjoy their interactions with the lunch ladies, not only because they provide a satisfying meal, but because of the amount of effort given and how they continue to do their jobs with a warming smile day after day. Without this group of ladies, the student body would be without an overall comforting meal experience.
The experience for the ladies, however is not always so comforting. “[One time] I had made 12 pans of jell-o and was pushing it on a rack to the cooler and I caught the corner of the wall and jell-o went everywhere!” shares cook Becky Miller, “…[jell-o is] not easy to get off.” Another not so comforting experience was one for cashier Mrs. Brown, “Falsely reporting an emergency [was one of the memorable moments in the PHS kitchen for me], she explains, “[one of the ladies] fell down and couldn’t get up. I didn’t know she was kidding. The principal and nurse came running. Oops!” Accidents happen however, not everything is an accident. “[One time] I put a fake hand in the milk cooler and a big football boy screamed like a girl,” admits manager Mrs. Williams. The ladies find many ways to enjoy their day. “We seem to laugh and enjoy our day everyday,” exclaims server Mrs. Burt, “Nothing crazy needs to happen; we just find things to laugh about.”
Outside of the Red Rock Café, the kitchen crew continues to be active and cheerful. Many of the ladies enjoy spending their free time with family and a number of the ladies like to garden. “[I enjoy] planting flowers in the summer,” shares dish washer June Reese. Cashier Shirley Nifong agrees stating, “I love to work outdoors in my garden and yard. I plant a lot of flowers and vegetables.” Other interests range from: hand braiding rugs, reading, traveling, going to garage sales, and spending time in warm weather.
Although, the cafeteria never fails to bring a new experience each and everyday, the ladies enjoy their time at home as well. PHS is privileged with a diverse kitchen crew that serves up their pleasing personalities as well as pleasing meals.