Breaking the Lunch Routine
Danielle Germaine
October 16, 2009
Filed under Commentary, Editorial, Top Stories
Italian paninis, bleu strawberry salads, and homemade, brick-oven pizzas are not your typical school lunches. With student favorites including fries, burgers, salads, and soups, it’s amazing just how many good and healthy choices are available to CCA students everyday from The Grill, Hub, and Café. Unfortunately, it is easy to take our blessings for granted and to forget the exceptional quality each of these dining areas put into preparing every dish. A CCA student comments, “Cafe food isn’t gourmet food but we are a school. I wish there would be more variety, though.” Hmm… interesting.
Just 90 miles away from the U.S. southeastern shoreline, it was reported that when Cuban workers began to complain about the boring food they received as part of their free lunches, the Cuban government eliminated this job incentive altogether. Workers now have to pay for their own lunches with the 15 pesos (equivalent to 70 cents) that are added to their income—a pretty scarce amount to buy anything off The Grill’s menu, wouldn’t you say? And the quality of the food that they have to choose from can’t even be slightly compared to what is available to us every day as students.
With juniors now being included in the former senior privilege of eating half-off in The Grill, many seniors have complained about lack of space in The Grill and how the crowd may affect the quality of the food. Senior Dan Poeana explains, “We need more room in The Grill, Hub, and cafeteria, and because of that, the food probably isn’t as good.” Adding to this problem is that all of middle and high school now have lunch at the same time, making for one busy lunch period.
Even though the school year has brought some difficult changes and our lunches are far from perfect, we must keep in mind just how tasty and healthy our food is compared to that of public schools in South Florida, not to mention 90 miles away from the Florida Keys, where Cuban workers are served mystery meat. CCA students even have an hour-long lunch to unwind and relax from their busy morning classes. So next time you’re about to order a tower-o-fries, consider the indistinguishable alternatives you could be getting anywhere else.