Food court manager Undrea Jones started working at the school last November when his boss asked him if he would mind transferring over to the school. Since his four children all graduated from the school, he immediately said yes. When Jones’ children came to the school, he would often hear how they wouldn’t eat lunch, because the line were moving too slowly. So when he arrived, the first thing he did was increase the speed.

     “I haven’t heard any grumbling that the line is taking too long, but I have to stay on top of it. You may see me in the hall, standing kind of [creepily],” Jones said. “I have to keep that line flowing.”

     However the complaint Jones hears this year is that the food is not satisfying students. Although Jones does not agree with the drastic changes that have been made, he does see the benefits that are associated with it. He explains that what the government is trying to do is to encourage and teach children to eat healthy. In addition, the school is under a plan where the government dictates what students are served.

     “In other words, the government dictates to us what we serve to [students] as far as the benefits of being healthy because they are looking at the long-range goal,” Jones said. “[So that] when you get to be my age, if you’re eating properly now, when you turn 50 and 55 years old, you won’t have the health problems my people today have.”

     However, Jones disagrees with the government not letting the districts make individual decisions, depending on the area that they live on. But, he understands that the school has no real option in determining what can or cannot be sold, because making any changes will be difficult.

     “All I can say to people them is [to] wait till the next president gets to the White House,” Jones said. “And we’ll see what his wife thinks, and [maybe] we’ll go back to what it used to be.”

     Jones considers his mission in life to provide students with healthy meals at school. He looks out for the students whose only meal is at school, but he also looks out for the kids that aren’t very concerned with eating at school.

      “The school has no other option. The cafeteria runs everything nutrition wise. Our other only real competition is the vending machines, but if you noticed there are healthy choices. They had to make healthy choices [in order] to stay in the school,” Jones said. “And there’s nothing wrong with healthy choices. We all should eat healthy, but at the same time, I think we should be able to choose what we want to do instead of saying this is all you have, deal with it or don’t eat. Because ultimately that’s what’s going to happen.”