As Solon High School students entered the cafeteria on the first day of school, some students began to notice changes. The two differing lunch lines were gone, replaced by a single long line that goes through the kitchen of the Cafeteria itself. Student reactions were negative to the line, from complaints about the length to frustration at those who cut the line to get their food quicker. To find out why these changes were made, I sat down with the director of Food Services at Solon High School Lynne Hutchison. Hutchison gives her thoughts down below.
Q: What prompted the new Cafeteria line change?
A: We wanted to make the Cafeteria more self-serve/college type…and make it more flexible for students to choose their own options.
Q: Has the Cafeteria menu changed at all?
A: We are trying to get closer to scratch cooking. We make our own salads, we make our own soups and…we [have] even made corn salsa from scratch…We are trying to add our own personal flair– make it healthier and make it taste better.
Q: Who came up with the idea to change this?
A: I came up with this idea, but I have been wanting to make a student review board for feedback on the food and other aspects of the Cafeteria.
Q: Has the line length problem been noticed?
A: The problem has been noticed by our Cafeteria staff. The 4C/5B lunch periods are the most affected by the line problem…but we suspect it is due to the increased number of kids buying lunch…It’s really hard as well to get all the students on the same page about the line. We are trying to find a better way to promote the rules/different areas of the lunch line.
Q: Are there any changes to the current system being planned?
A: We hope students give us the time and patience to fix the line…Our goal is eventually to perfect what we have.
As Hutchison mentioned, we may see changes to this new Cafeteria line throughout the year, and students can anticipate that the line will be refined and shrunk over time. Overall, all students can hope is able to eat, relax and enjoy their lunch break without being stuck in a long line.
