No Mystery Meat Here

By Khawar Areeb

The school cafeteria is infamous for its leftover, cold, undercooked, grotesque food, which is served by cruel lunch ladies who are as gross as the food they are providing. But does the DuVal cafeteria fit this stereotype? Or does it shed light on the bad reputation that most school cafeterias are plagued with by giving better food and service?

Well, the cafeteria's food does not measure up to a five star restaurant by far. There have been some complaints that the food is undercooked, and is not very appetizing. But in all actuality, the food is good enough. The school does not have the budget, or the talent to provide gourmet food, but the food that is given is at least edible. Most students just want something to eat to crave their appetites for the rest of the long day, and though you may only receive a limited amount of food, it is still enough to quench an individual's hunger, even if it does not fill it. Besides, the amount one pays for lunch seems to equate to the amount they give. The max amount a student pays for a regular lunch is $1.85. For that price, the student gets a main lunch, a side snack, juice, and milk. That seems reasonable when compared to a $4.00 burger from Wendy's.

I have noticed one negative trend about the cafeteria's menu. It is not as varied as it used to be. In the past years, the school served Sloppy Joes, potato wedges with cheese and chili, chicken fajitas, steak, etc. But this year, they seem to have a recurring pattern, pizza and chicken nuggets everyday.

As for the service, it is satisfactory as well. The lunch ladies do their jobs by making and serving the food, as they should. However, they seem to show favoritism. When they see a child they are fond of, they tend to supply them with extra food, free of charge. Additionally, the lunch ladies select whom to pick on. Numerous individuals cut in line, all quite visible to the lunch ladies. However, it seems that the lunch ladies only stop the ones they "think they can," and ignore the rest. In addition, the lunch ladies are hospitable to their "favorite" students, but are rude to others.

In terms of their procedures, the lunch ladies are adequate. They seem to be properly clean and supply the food as efficiently as they can. Most of the lunch ladies wear their gloves, but there have been a few who do not wear their hairnets. Of course there is no reported case of any hairs in someone's food, so maybe that can be pardoned.
There have been many cases, however, where a particular lunch lady continuously gives the wrong change.

The cafeteria itself seems to be in good shape. Though it is not best looking environment, it still has suitable eating conditions for its students. There seem to be plenty of seats for everyone, and the booths in the small cafeteria are a nice touch. Of course, the décor is old, but it is not much of a hindrance to the DuVal cafeteria experience.

Overall, the cafeteria is just what students need to take a breather from their classes by chatting with their friends, and getting a sufficient lunch that gives them enough fuel to get through the rest of the day. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, the DuVal cafeteria gets a 6. After all, 12th grader, Rolyndria Anderson, says, "The DuVal Cafeteria is just a matter of convenience." The cafeteria is nothing amazing, but it at least provides its students with the basic "lunch necessities." It is simple, but that is all it needs to be.

By Jennifer Partridge |  March 6, 2008; 3:40 PM ET
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Posted by: Ebonie Prince | May 3, 2008 3:37 PM

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