What’s Cookin’ in the Kitchen
Gretchen Barslund preparing nutritious salads for lunch.
The Ripon High cafeteria crew put nothing but love into the food they prepare and serve. Although they are apart of what helps makes Ripon High the best it can be, their role on campus is often overlooked by the students.
Former cafeteria lady and current campus supervisor, Samantha Green, explains how taxing and fast-paced working in the kitchen can be. With a large quantity of students to feed twice a day, managing your time goes hand in hand with the process go smoothly.
“Managing your time well is an important skill to have because you have a schedule to stick to and it’s very fast paced, I would start at 8:30 and was constantly on my feet until 12:15,” said Green.
What most people don’t realize is how some of the duties involved in the kitchen can be physically and mentally demanding. Cafeteria lady, Gretchen Barslund, gave an explanation of the responsibilities that entails their job.
“We have to carry heavy boxes and we’re constantly running around to get stuff in and out of the oven that needs to be done in time to feed the students,” said Barslund.
When asked about their favorite part about the job, the part of the day Barslund enjoys most is the people they get to work with everyday.
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Although the job does not sound as appealing to others, there is a lot of skills that can be acquired through the position and the opportunity to work with amazing people and students. Both Barslund and Green have built strong friendships while working in the kitchen.
“The cafeteria ladies are definitely a close knit group, we always had a good time together. We also have an annual Christmas party and do a gift exchange,” Green stated.
Eleanor is a junior at Ripon High. Her personal goals for the school year becoming as involved as possible, qualifying for CIF State swimming championships,...
