Christopher: Here‘s to slime-less tables and unbruised backs.
 
One might expect that I’d have formed some sort of connection or love for the building that has served me day after day for the past four years. But I don’t. The cafeteria for me has always only meant long, crowded lines and dirty, food covered tables. You wouldn’t believe how many times I have sat down in the cafeteria only to be hit in the back by someone’s backpack or have found the space in front of me covered in some strange green substance. Even worse are the times when the substance is not even visible and the bottom of my notebooks come away coated with the clear film of someone else‘s food.Most of these incidences were freshman year experiences, and things may have changed since then. But they are memories that stick to me like the slime on the back of my homework. My contact with the cafeteria is now limited to walking through the small little room that leads into it to buy my food. Even so, the backs of my shoulders are regularly bruised by the bony arms of those behind me. Space has perhaps been my biggest and longest held complaint about the cafeteria. A school with a population of 2419 needs a cafeteria with more than ten tables… even if they are slime covered.My hope is that this new cafeteria, with its two stories, will be able to fit a significant portion of the student population. Maybe our lunch lines will actually be lines instead of violent masses of limbs. Even if I won’t be here to see the changes enacted, just the thought that future students won’t have to endure the painful lunch “mob” in order to get food makes all the construction worth it.
With its space problem and its slime problem the current cafeteria’s issues sound like the plot of an old sci-fi movie. Emphasis on old. And therein lies the problem, our cafeteria is just out-dated, not ready to serve the modern student body. Maybe nothing will change and the cafeteria will stay an artifact of the past clearly inspired by old space movies, maybe the new cafeteria will house aliens. That might explain why it will take more than a year and cost ten million dollars.For the sake of future Matadors’ unbruised backs and shoulders, however, I hope the new cafeteria is more organized, bigger, and cleaner.

 Atharva: Sweet memories of the cafeteria

The volleyball banquet has been held in the cafeteria for the past three years. Now comes the dilemma of where this year’s is going to be. To be honest, the cafeteria is the home to all the feasting by the sports teams after their seasons. Including mine.

I remember my freshmen year when the season had come to an end and we had the celebration of a solid year. The aroma of Florentine’s pizza and breadsticks kept us hungry until it was time to eat. Each player sat down in a black chair as they walked in and greeted other players. Cards were passed around for players to sign for the coaches. Then came the food. Usually parents got priority. Then varsity, and finally JV.

Near the back of the cafeteria, the coaching staff had set up awards and a presentation for parents and kids of the season. The presentation consisted of pictures of the players in action, hitting, passing and after the game.

After we ate and got seconds and ate more, the JV coach started speaking about what a great season we had. He cracked a few jokes and kept it interesting. Then he started to award players for their participation and hard work.

One by one, each player was called up, and the coach congratulated him.

Then varsity went up, same thing, except usually the introduction was longer and the speech was more intense. After varsity, the parents and players thanked the coaches and everyone went home.

In my junior year, it was the same pattern with the food and all the speeches and jokes. But this year was funnier. Coach asked other players to think of these small humorous ideas about where we would be in five years. He imitated my video when I ran for class office, and then he read aloud where my teammates would thought I would be in a few years, including I would be an announcer for a sports team.

The memory of these amazing nights are unforgettable. My parents and I both clearly remember each year where we would go as a family and have a good time. My parents would see what kind of player I was from the coach’s point of view, even though they attended most games.

But this year comes the dilemma. Where will the banquet be this year? My senior year, and the “historic” cafeteria won’t be part of it. I think it is really important that every senior gets the same feeling of being appreciated for their work.

The cafeteria will be missed. Especially by the sports teams. You know what they say, “You don’t know what you got have ‘til it’s gone.”