Annie Nelson ’11
Features Editor

Before heading to school to feed her 1,800 children, Colleen wakes up at 6:15 a.m. each morning to feed her two cats, Kitty and Callie.

By the time she gets to school at 7:30, she is already slicing cold cuts and cheeses, making tuna salad, and preparing specials.

“We’re just about as good as Fortuna’s,” Colleen said.  Colleen preferred not to disclose her last name—as did her two culinary colleagues, Linda and Anna—because of the informal relationships they have with their students.

Linda refers to the three of them as the “Three Musketeers,” which seems to be fitting.  After all, they have “one [kitchen] for all,” and after working almost a decade together, they share it with ease.

Even more remarkable is that all three women seem to genuinely love their jobs.

“I love what I do,” Colleen said.  Anna comments that they all like the children, to which Linda replied a sarcastic “sometimes.”  She added with a grin, “I’d like it better if the kids made their own lunches.”

In all seriousness, Linda says the only real problem with the sandwich line is that a lot of the time, kids have trouble making up their minds.  “That’s what kills me,” she said.  “[They’re undecided] after three, four minutes.  It’s hectic.”

As for the new deli system, they say it’s working fine, and they haven’t encountered any issues thus far.  The primary problem with efficiency seems to be ordering itself.

But Anna asserts that the pre–made lunches are just as popular.  “We have salads, sandwiches,” Anna said, adding that they are usually all gone by the second lunch rotation.

“Look at these gourmet, beautiful Caesar salads,” she proudly said in a thick accent, her arms motioning to a nearby display case as if she’s Vanna White.

The three part ways once they have put their beef to bed for the day.  And as tired as she may be, Colleen somehow finds a way to cook yet another meal for her other family when she gets home.