The purpose of a cafeteria is to provide the students of a school with the sustenance they need to get through the day—but how much do we actually know about the people behind the scenes? In Oakland Tech’s cafeteria, a team of three women, Marina Mendoza, Maria Miranda, and Minnie, order, prepare, and serve lunch to our student population in the cafeteria. The cafeteria is located in the quick lunch room in the basement and is free and available to any student during lunch.
When preparing lunch, there are many steps these women must take to get food on student’s plates. Lunch is prepared in a kitchen behind the cafeteria with a large oven in the middle of the room and sinks lining the walls. Freezers, fridges, and storerooms are filled to the brim with food. The lunch often comes pre-made from a place called the “Central Kitchen,” which supplies the food for all of OUSD. Our block schedule means that the start of their preparations changes based on the day of the week. On days that they prepare wings, they put the sauce on and defrost it in the oven. The pasta is cooked in sauce in a big batch, and they assemble the salads themselves. After the food is prepared, it must be served. Around 200 students usually get lunch—roughly 11% of the student body. “The kids like the outside smoothies,” Maria says, “but the food is good here.”
Our cafeteria staff face several challenges in their daily routine. For instance, last year, they used a system where they would order and get food from the Central Kitchen only when they needed it and they asked for it. This worked well, and they had plenty of space to accommodate the orders, but the system has recently changed. Now, the Central Kitchen sends them food daily, which has had disastrous consequences. There is not enough space in the kitchen to store all the food. When they need something from the refrigerator, they must take everything out and put it back in again, prioritizing access (specifically for meat). When we looked inside the fridges, we saw they were stocked to the brim and completely full. The lunch staff have talked to their supervisor several times, but nothing has happened. They are very upset about this. “When we need something, they don’t send it,” Marina says. “And they send things when we don’t need it.” OUSD is no stranger to bureaucracy issues, but our hard-working cafeteria staff is committed to serving the students of Oakland Tech.
Overall, the cafeteria workers seemed to greatly enjoy their job. When we interviewed them, they were friendly, warm, and cared a lot about the meals they gave to students. Marina took this job because she likes cooking, and this was a good way for her to use that skill and help students. “Kids get lunch a lot of the time because they don’t have money,” she says. “Kids with the money can eat outside.” According to the women, the lunch was harder to make last year. There were bigger portions, and the dishes they made, such as chow mein, were more difficult. This year’s lunch is easier and faster to make because it comes more pre-prepared and ready to make.
The cafeteria is often overlooked as a small part of our school’s ecosystem, but it is a vital resource, especially for food-insecure students, and the staff who help keep it running are an essential part of the daily routine that is Oakland Tech.