How could our school function without the unique role that our lunch room serves? Open during most hours of the school day, the Tillman Center allows students to relax during a short class break and grab a snack. Of course, its main responsibility is being the middle and high school lunchroom, but Tillman has so much more to offer.
The Tillman Center and all of its wonderful chefs and workers make fresh food every single day so that hundreds of students can be provided with lunch, snacks, and drinks. Perhaps one of the biggest Tillman advocates on campus, George McMaster offered his perspective when he said, “Tillman Center is awesome because the staff are kind and caring, and the chocolate chip cookies are peak. I also appreciate the microwaves, because they let me bring food from home to enjoy without it just being cold and sad.”
Best said by George, Tillman knows that no student is the same, so in turn they provide the diversity we require. For those who decide to bring lunch from home, Tillman offers microwaves and cutlery for food, yet they also prepare vegetarian meals and several reliable lunch options for those who order food.
Other students have been nice enough to thank the workers for their service and commitment to our lunchroom. Norah Iezzi, currently a junior at Athens Academy, prepared a video highlighting the work they put in and made them feel a part of our community by saying, “I go to the Tillman Center a lot and the food is really good, and I see all of the staff everyday, but I had never actually talked to them. So, I decided to talk to them and be friends and then let everyone know that they can also be friends with the staff.”
Several students including Norah have shown their appreciation for the dedicated workers of the Tillman Center, but I and others feel like we can do more to acknowledge everything they do for us. An easy way to do that is to simply make their job easier by being mindful of the messes we make on our tables. Many have witnessed firsthand the devastating effects that teenagers and their messy habits have on lunchroom tables. Noticing our messes and cleaning them up quickly saves so much time for the workers.
These efforts make us a stronger community. When people pay for food, more and more are addressing the workers by their name and asking them about their day. Overall, the Tillman Center has provided so much quality food over the past years, and it is time for us to mirror that back at the workers. They deserve our utmost respect for the hours they put into making our food.