There is hard work that goes on behind the scenes, and too often people don’t acknowledge it because they don’t see it. Sometimes people don’t see there is a lengthy process to the seemingly simple things they see every day. Now, I am not here to shame anyone, but I mean to bring awareness to the hard work the cafeteria staff put into feeding every single student every day, regardless of the quality of the food. Breakfast is always waiting at 7:15 am because someone came in an hour earlier that morning and set up everything. There are plates and utensils available because someone cleaned them and sorted them the night before. There are specialty sections and nights because someone worked the extra mile to prepare something special for the students to enjoy. Tables are clean, cereal and fruit are available, and if you ask for something specific, you are sure to get it.

There is the temptation to be disgruntled when speaking about the cafeteria food, and an even greater temptation to blame the cafeteria staff. But take the time to imagine what the day would be like without them. What if they suddenly went on strike and cooked for no one? There would be no clean place to sit and eat a meal with a friend. There would be no clean plates and utensils. There would be no people to greet you with a smile every morning. There would be no pasta, no wings, no pizza, no chicken, no waffles, no cereal, no coffee.  Working for the cafeteria for the past two years has made me aware of how much work the staff puts in every single day. It’s quite incredible, and, in all honestly, we should be thanking them every single day for their hard work.

Did you know that the average American college student eats pizza, wings, fries, soup, and salad more than anything else on their meal plan? And did you also know that college students, compared to the rest of America, order 179% more cookies?! That’s crazy! Pioneer Food Services provides all of these demands for us, and they never complain about it. Thank them the next time you see them.

Thank you to Todd, Scott, Sabine, and the rest of the cafeteria staff for truly working for our benefit every day!