Best of 2022: Best of Foothill Tech

Best cafeteria foods

When the bell rings and students are released from class, the main attraction at nutrition break  and lunch for all grades tends to be the line for the cafeteria, which swarms with hungry students. But which meals in particular draw everyone in? Well, from the chocolate muffins at nutrition break all the way to the tuna sandwiches at lunch, here are Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) students’ favorite cafeteria foods of this year. 

During nutrition break, students tend to lean towards the cafeteria’s best staple food: bagels and cream cheese. While the variety of bagels is usually left to just the plain option, every so often students find themselves in the face of blueberry bagels too. 

For many students the bagels are a must-have. When asked what some of her favorite cafeteria foods are, Rhea Gill ‘25 explained this by stating “The bagels are nice because they’re always warm and they’re never like hard or weird, at least the ones that I’ve gotten.” The work of heating up the bagels put in by the cafeteria staff actually avoids the obstacle of them sometimes being dry and crumbly, a sad situation that can often occur with cold bagels. When grabbing one off the counter in the cafeteria, it is difficult to not notice how warm and airy they are. Especially when opening up the bagel, students can see that it has been thoroughly heated up as the dough is soft and fluffy.

It is less than two hours after snack when the cafeteria line yet again becomes a blob, buzzing with kids relieved to finally be at the hour of lunch. At lunch time, students get an array of food options, with different main courses, sides and drinks that change daily. On special days, many can be seen leaving the cafeteria with a tray filled with the school’s best main course, pozole. 

From Mexican cuisine comes a stew made from hominy, called pozole. The stew usually includes some sort of meat, along with an assortment of toppings.The pozole is given out on occasion from the cafeteria rather than every day, making the occurrence special. When asked what he thinks is the best lunch option from the cafeteria, Kurt Miller, a teacher at Foothill Tech also known as the benevolent dictator, commented “Pozole, because of the rich broth, the delicious meat [and] the toppings that they have, including cabbage, lime and cilantro.” pozole is the perfect lunch option when looking for a warm and flavorful journey for your taste buds. “It tastes like a home cooked meal,” Miller added. So when looking for a meal to warm your heart, look no further than the cafeteria’s pozole. 

While the cafeteria does have a wide arrangement of other good meal options, these were just some of the best. So, if curious, skeptical, or both, make sure to stop by Spirito Hall to broaden your palate with the cafeteria food wonders, because trying it could lead to liking it. 

Favorite school functions 

Every year, students of Foothill Tech look forward to the more delightful parts of the school year: the events that the Associated Student Body (ASB) puts on. Long lines for tickets, outfit shopping and getting ready for the event fill many students’ minds as they coordinate plans with one another for a fan favorite, the school dances.

Each year, ASB puts together four dances, which are usually created to match the theme of the year and feature snacks, music and dancing. This year, the school’s theme is “Around the World,” featuring different cultures, countries and the idea of traveling overall. Winter Formal was held at the Camarillo Commemorative Air Force Hangar which matched the theme perfectly, along with displaying some of the hangar’s airplanes as students filed in. 

While the school dances are usually enjoyed by many students, this year in particular was enjoyed due to the unique venue and the music choices. Tyler Trigo ‘25 reminisced about the parts of the dance she particularly enjoyed: “The DJ was really good and decorations were really good … it was a good place.” Many others also seemed to enjoy the new DJ and his music choices. 

The details of Winter Formal were also noticed and appreciated by many, including Athena Iriwn ‘25. Irwin expressed her enjoyment for the dance, saying “I really […] enjoyed the winter formal,” and even pointed out that “ the coat hanger thing was pretty good as well,” a detail that didn’t go unnoticed. The coat hanger that Iriwn described was a coat check placed conveniently near the entrance of the Winter Formal. Guests were able to check in coats that they no longer needed, as well as bags that they did not want to lose while dancing. Overall, this option was well-received and extremely helpful. 

Students also thoroughly enjoyed the fall dance that was held on Oct. 14, 2022. The Happy Haunts dance was hosted in Foothill Tech’s very own Quad, which sported Halloween-themed decorations complete with music and dancing. Mia Bacigalupi ‘26 enjoyed the Happy Haunts dance the most, stating “[it] was pretty fun to hang out with friends.”

While school dances were favored by this year’s students, spirit days, Renaissance Rallies and Air Guitar, just to mention a few, are all also memorable and delightful parts of students’ school years. 

Best addition to Foothill Tech

As the years go by, Foothill Tech has experienced many changes to the school that cater to students’ desires and needs. Throughout 2022, the school has gained many additions, such as a new trash system and functional vending machines. A fan favorite addition of 2022 is the new snack bar. 

Beginning at the start of the 2022-23 school year, a snack bar opened up in the quad during break and lunch. Although free lunches are available for students in the cafeteria, there are also additional snacks that can be purchased with money in the cafeteria as well as the new snack bar. 

As soon as the bell rings, students can be seen congregating nearby to purchase items such as chips, cookies, water and pizza. Cherry Breehl ‘25 loves how convenient and affordable the snacks there are. “I love how cheap it is … The chips are only a dollar which is very affordable, especially for a lot of people our age who don’t have jobs and can’t make their own money,” she explained. 

Aside from being affordable, the snack bar has more perks to offer. Aidan Gomez ‘25, who has worked at the snack bar since the start of the school year, emphasized the benefits. “Instead of having everyone crowded in the cafeteria buying additional snacks, it clears a lot of room in there and the kids can purchase their snacks outside,” he stated. 

During break and lunch, many students can be seen excitedly crowding around the snack bar. “I notice a lot of people hang out around there and talk to the people that work there because [they are] very nice and they like to talk to everyone,” Breehl added. 

Due to the kind nature of the workers, the affordable prices and variety of tasty snacks that are available to students, the snack bar has become a popular amenity at Foothill Tech.