It may be hot in the school without the air conditioning on, but behind the scenes of the cafeteria the heat reaches its peak.
This past Thursday might have been the worst.
The air was thick and sticky with humidity. The women who work in the cafeteria are always on the move. Always busy. The heat is not too bad in the dish-washing room or the office, but it would be nice if the air conditioning was on.
Working near the 350-degree oven and the wall-sized becomes particularly difficult.
“On the serving line we’re sweating badly,” said Sandy Habbley.
These women have to endure six groups of over 100 students per day, standing at the registers or taking orders with the warmers just a foot or so from their backs. Every waft of warm air from the warmers is another wave of discomfort. Somehow, these women still have smiles on their faces and share laughs on occasion, even on the hottest day of work so far this year.
Thankfully, the cafeteria roars with sound from the fans. A large black one can be found by the dish-washing room, another big one on the front lines near the warmers, and a heavy-duty red one in the back to ventilate the main space.
“I brought a fan,” said Lisa Prokuski. “A few of the girls have brought fans from home.”
The women do not have much time to talk. Always moving, always working, always something to do, and always requiring energy required to do it. The added heat just adds to the tension, but they do not lose their composure.
“We’ll walk into the freezer for a minute or two just to cool down,” said Prokuski.
The freezer has now become a safe haven from the thick, brutal air of the front lines. Several of the lunch ladies agree that those moments when work calls them to the freezer are precious.
Students, teachers, and cafeteria workers are all yearning for the day the air conditioning comes on, but until then, students should be happy they do not need to work with ovens and warmers all day.
Meanwhile, the women in the cafeteria find ways to beat the heat with the help of the freezer and the fans.
