At California High School, there are a handful of events that generate excitement amongst the student body like no other. Some of these events are typical across any high school in America—take Friday Night Lights, the pep rally, homecoming, and prom, for instance (prom is coming up soon, by the way, so don’t miss out on your chance to buy a ticket or two!)
However, there are some of these events which are unique to Cal High. Perhaps the most notable of these is the Food Fest—a chance not only for students to wolf down a smorgasbord of food, but also for all the groups on campus to raise tons of money for any events they may do over the summer or at the end of the year (celebratory banquets, anyone?)
Just like any smorgasbord or buffet, there’s a wide variety of foods to choose from at Food Fest. Some clubs are quite well-established in what they sell—students know these items and deals well, and flock to them as soon as the bell to get out of class rings in order to not be stuck in a 200-student long line. Other clubs (typically smaller in scope) vary their items each year, offering students unique items which may not be available for other food fests in order to gain a foothold in the gastronomic market on campus, a strategy which results in varying degrees of success. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the major sellers on campus this year!
Men’s League Board: Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs
- You know them, you love them: this year on campus, the Men’s League Board offered the same unbeatable combo that works year after year. For the low price of $5.00, students got a delicious bacon-wrapped hot dog, chips, and a drink of their choice.
- According to Mr. Ramirez, the club advisor for Men’s League Board, “This year was the biggest year for sales we’ve had yet. Normally, we prep about 3 to 4 trays worth of hot dogs for our hungry students. This year, we made the choice to prepare 5: that’s over 300 hot dogs our club members have to wrap, cook, and sell.”
- Ultimately, Mr. Ramirez’s gamble worked, with the hot dogs selling out as if they were bricks of gold being sold for $5; if you have working tastebuds, they might as well have been—they’re delicious!
Drafting Club: Taco Plates
- One of the most popular stations on campus, the Drafting Club (A&E Academy) offers students a combo that’s hard to beat—two tacos, rice, beans, and a drink for only $10.
- They have a wide variety of meats: chicken, carne asada, and al pastor.
- However, this popular option almost wasn’t available this year: the sheer difficulty in gathering all the equipment and foodstuffs needed necessitated a Herculean effort by all the academy members involved in setting up the food stall in order to get all the items that customers have come to love.
The Condor Insider: Birria Tacos
- This station was a relative newcomer to the Food Fest, having only participated in one Food Fest in the past several years.
- Despite this, they were one of the most popular stations on campus this year, thanks to their slow-cooked birria meats and warm corn tortillas being one of the most delicious options on campus this year despite their simplicity.
- Owing to the small size of the club, the sheer scale of the customer base proved to be a challenge: if you paid attention to the stand over the course of the Food Fest, you’d notice their “tortilla runners”—club members who were heating up tortillas in their meeting room and running back to the stand over and over again to meet the sheer demand of the customers.
Wrestling and Soroptimist Club: Pizza
- Competing as they always do on Food Fest, both Cal High Wrestling and the Soroptimist Club sold delicious pizza.
- They didn’t sell to the same exact audience, however: Cal High Wrestling sells Little Caesars, while the Soroptimist Club sells Piara Pizza.
Thirst-Quenchers: Boba, Soda, Coffee, and More!
- If you were looking for something to perk you up during Food Fest, both Business Academy and Puente offered coffee, with B.A. offering a more barista-like experience and Puente giving out the classic Starbucks chilled coffee bottles.
- STEPS and DLC offered sodas—STEPS offered Shirley Temples, while the DLC continued their tradition of offering a variety of custom Italian sodas.
- MUN offered boba again, ever the popular option amongst the student body.
- In addition to this, Interact and Freshman Class Council offered ice-based desserts, and a variety of other groups offered juicy and fresh fruit!
What Do The Students Think About Food Fest?
According to an interviewed MLB member, “Food Fest, to me, represents where our brotherhood can really shine. From the moment prep begins for the event, the whole club runs like a machine to get everything together for the greatest success and profit we can get.”
Another student, who described herself as a foodie of sorts, offered a different perspective: “I really love Food Fest because it gives me the opportunity to just unwind and have fun right before finals season. The only problem is, I can’t get more food because of how long all the lines are!”
Overall, Food Fest represents opportunity for students: the opportunity to make money, the opportunity to get a great meal, and the opportunity to get closer with those who help make everything possible.