Chieftain October 2015 | Page 5

Chieftain’s Declassified: The Cafeteria Our staff tries the impossible by creating a guide that will help you survive high school By Ryan Israel Chieftain Staff At Brother Rice, we are #blessed. It’s a long-standing tradition in the media and in the minds of young teens that high school lunches are terrible. A “mystery meat” or a “jello cup” is the common staple of high school lunches in television shows and in movies. Brother Rice is an exception. At Brother Rice we have some fantastic meal options. Seniors and Juniors will remember the transition from Sodexo to TruFood and the speculation that came about. But it is now the common opinion that TruFood provides a multitude of delicious choices. Junior Emmett Conway said “I like TruFood. It provides a nice variety of healthy options. “Highlights from the past month include chicken wings, loaded nachos, cheeseburgers, and bacon mac ‘n’ cheese. Everyday options like salads, sandwiches, and soups are very popular. TruFood even offers some great breakfast options, like omelets and pancakes. As far as drinks go, this year the cafeteria added Arnold Palmer and Starbucks, both of which have become favorites. So if you’re looking to buy your lunch, you’re in luck. The food may be great, but one downside is the line. Ned’s Declassified Tip#395.75L: “Get in line early and buy for friends.” If you don’t want to wait 20 minutes to get your lunch, you better hustle and get to the line early. If you can’t get to the line in time, uphold the four pillars of Rice and do not cut unless your goal is to make enemies. If you want a sub, get in the sub line; if you don’t want a sub, then don’t get in the sub line. It’s pretty simple. When you eventually get to the front of the line, you may get your B R OTHE R R IC E H IG H S C H O O L C H I E F TA I N Chef Ty preparing another wonderful meal for the Brother Rice Students lunch from one of the nicest people on the Brother Rice staff, Ty. He can be seen driving around the Brother Rice parking lot in his red Jeep Wrangler, or balling out during the faculty basketball game. But most often, Ty can be seen behind the counter in the cafeteria whipping up gourmet meals for Brother Rice students. If you want to stay on Ty’s good side, make sure you’re not staring down at your phone when he’s trying to get your order for breakfast. As far as interacting with the students, Ty says, “I try to accommodate each student. … No kids left behind.” He treats his job very seriously, saying, “It’s almost like a class, I try to educate the kids on the food.” Ty’s favorite meals are Burrito Bowls, Chicken Cordon Bleu, and Fish Tacos, a meal he introduced to Brother P AGE 5 Rice during Lent. As far as his performance at the faculty basketball game, Ty says, “That was the most people I’ve ever dribbled a basketball in front of. … I’m waiting on this year’s game.” Now that you made it through the line, saw Ty, and bought your lunch, the next thing to tackle is seating. Usually you’ll grab a seat with your bros and enjoy a nice lunch. But every once in awhile, it’s a good idea to sit with some people you don’t normally talk to, or to find somebody who looks like they could use a place to sit. The cafeteria is the best place to make new friends and spend down time with your classmates. A cardinal rule of cafeteria seating is that you do not steal somebody else’s chair. If it looks like there are no open chairs, that doesn’t allow you to causally take a classmate’s backpack off a chair and slide the chair to your table. If there doesn’t appear to be any open chairs, there are stacks of chairs at either side of the cafeteria. If those are gone, have a seat at one of the two long lunch tables against the wall. Good luck with your time in the cafeteria, and don’t steal my seat. O C T O B E R 2015