It’s like clockwork. Every day at noon I head to the Bottom of Lenoir, grab some random-flavored Naked Juice and head to the checkout line.
As usual, I’m unprepared and have to grab my wallet from some inconvenient compartment of my bookbag, but Ms. Kathy Gomez, the cashier I go to, simply sits there and waits for me to pull myself together.
She never tells me to hurry up or to step aside. She just gives me the extra seconds I need, compliments me on my excellent choice in juice, and sends me one my way.
After a few months of this daily routine, I think it’s acceptable to say that every day I make this trip I get more excited to say hello to this wonderful woman.
And no doubt that includes giving a quick smile to the other men and women who have dedicated hours each day to make sure we can all grab a Chick-fil-A sandwich and still get to class on time.
While I may be privy to doing such things, history doesn’t always give credit where credit is due. At least as early as 1968, facility employees on campus have been down-trodden with unfair wages and mistreatment by managers.
When the campus administration refused to acknowledge these concerns, students began to take the matter into their own hands.
They staged sit-ins, handed out flyers and succeeded in shutting down Lenoir altogether. And whether this was done out of respect, social justice or just because they cared, students can make a lot of difference for campus employees.
And while the protests may have stopped and the news about workers’ wages is out of the pages of local newspapers, how many of us have actually had a conversation with an employee on campus?
