Students Voice Opinions and Requests: New Year, New Designs in CMMS Cafeteria

By Christopher Miller

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP – Central Mountain Middle School students will be dining in style this school year thanks to positive surveying of the general student body during the second half of the last school year.

“At the beginning of the process, Sharon Berger, the Food Services Supervisor, came to us and asked if we were interested in joining a committee,” said Andrew Wolfe, the former Middle School Student Government President beginning his freshman year at the high school this morning.

“We met five times from November to January and reviewed designs from John at Palmer Hamilton, LLC in Wisconsin. We asked if he could create table designs that have things like our school logos, rules, and sports on them and he took that request into account, because we wanted representation and school pride at every point possible in the cafeteria.”

After the designs were presented to student government, they went out to create and distribute surveys and a video showing the school what they had to choose from for the newly-designed cafeteria.

“Students voted and loved all of the designs and what you see here now is their choice,” Andrew said.

The seating they chose was a blend of tables, booths, and rectangular arrangements with ADA accommodations at many of the seating locations around the cafeteria.

“We have most shapes represented here from round tables, pentagons, and rectangles,” Andrew shared.

The students also had a chance to meet with the School Board Facilities Committee to share their plans and ideas for the cafeteria.

At the end of the tour and brief presentation, Superintendent Dr. Frank Redmon asked the students what their thought process was when choosing designs and laying out the cafeteria.

“We wanted different tables despite them all being the same for the past several years,” student council member Carolina Sedaris said.

“We also wanted a more welcoming environment. The old way was more of an industrial look, more uniform and the same,” Andrew added.

Cafeteria Manager Jess Warr read a statement from Sharon Berger, saying that the student’s cafeteria is always about the students and for the students.

“We want to give them the tools to be successful and the students were completely responsible for their choices in the set up of their cafeteria.

Andrew Wolfe thanked the Facilities Committee for their support and guidance, and for the School Board’s support in approving the purchases for the students’ space.

“Thank you all so much,” he said.

Students present to show off the new cafeteria designs included Andrew Wolfe, Mia Barth, and Carolina Sedaris. Student Anna Guerriero was also instrumental in the process but was absent from the presentation Monday morning. CMMS Cafeteria Manager Jess Warr was present, standing in for Sharon Berger. Also present was CMMS Principal Laura Fragassi.