By Jose Nagore
Throughout much of the summer, Pueblo High School’s cafeteria was renovated, which has dramatically improved the atmosphere where hundreds of students gather for lunch each day. Even those who have been at PHS more than 30 years have said that nothing significant (except the mural on the north wall) has been done to the cafeteria during their tenure.
New renovations include new flooring, repainting, added padding to walls, new bathrooms, and new lighting. The $700,000 price tag for this prodigious project was paid for by grants—and money well spent on the cafeteria’s first “face-lift” in decades.
Students have been quick to evaluate the project.
“The cafeteria looks a lot cleaner than ever,” said Pueblo senior Jonas Vazquez, “It looks amazing, and I hope that students take better care of it all—and that means picking up after themselves every day instead of leaving everything a mess!”
“There is a lot more room on the tables,” said Pueblo sophomore Angelo Ortega. “We students get to hang out with more people during lunch now.”
Sophomore Magle Andrade said, “The [renovated] cafeteria is not as dark, which seems to really brighten our lunch time.”
Besides the impressive renovations, students have also noticed the food quality.
“[The food] is way better compared to last year, especially the pizza,” said Pueblo junior Israel Figueroa.
“I’ve noticed that we have a lot more variety in the food choices this school year,” said Pueblo junior Sebastian Marinval.
“The kids [last year] complained about the appearance and taste of the food,” said cafeteria worker Manuela Drum, “so a lot of what is on the menu this school year has been changed to satisfy students.”
According to PHS Principal Frank Rosthenhausler, there are still a few late additions to complete the cafeteria renovation project – including new furniture, bar-style tables, round tables, and even some sofas.
“The library was the first major overhaul at Pueblo, and now with the cafeteria near completion, we can focus on the next project—which will be new gym floors and bleachers,” he added.