Are the higher prices in the cafeteria reason to complain?
Many students say “yes,” explaining that wallets are feeling much lighter, and asking why they are spending so much money on what some feel is so little food. Yet Mrs. Suzanne Bilow, manager of food services here, says the cost of a full lunch here is still “the best deal going” and the cost of snacks is still comparable to that of other districts.
Even though the price of lunches only went up five cents, to $1.45, there were price increase on lunch items purchased separately. Vending machine snacks and drinks went up 10 cents, from 75 cents to 85 cents. Students were taken by surprise on their return to school in the fall. “You go to buy a cup of soup and a cup of pasta, not a big one… it adds up to, like, a full lunch,” says an angered Tori Stathopolous.
Junior Megan Sanza, says, “It’s a lot easier just having three quarters; now you need three quarters and a dime, it’s not…convenient.”
What brought on the price changes? According to Mrs. Bilow, “we are not trying to jack prices.” She says, “Our goal is to sell full lunches.” The food service for the school is a non-profit organization, which receives no money from the district, and only receives partial reimbursement from state and federal sources for full lunches.
The other costs, including labor, utensils, machines, etc., must be paid for by the money coming in. The school district has done everything it could to avoid the increase in prices, Mrs. Bilow said, but there was nothing that could be done.
In fact, nine out of 19 schools in Monroe County still charge more for food then Webster does, she says, adding that Webster’s prices are average for the county. For example, here, ice cream costs fifty cents; in other schools, it ranges from forty to sixty-five cents. On the increase in prices, Mrs. Bilow said, “everything went up…[We] took a good hard look and realized we had to increase our prices…unfortunately.”
Although many students at Webster High School were perturbed by the price increase there are some whom it doesn’t bother. Jon Mandina said, “I don’t care, I don’t pay for my lunch, my parents do.”
Carol VanAtta, an employee of the food service, says that she hasn’t gotten many complaints due to the raised prices, “…just about the prices of the junk food. No one’s complained about anything else.” She said that the sales of the food are still there, “If you want it, you’re going to have to pay to get it.”
Another factor adding to the cost is that all of the chips in the vending machines are popular brand names, such as Frito-Lay, so they cost more money than lesser-known brands. “Today’s teenagers are ‘brand conscious,’” says Mrs. Bilow. Many students, she says, would rather pay more for brand name snacks of known quality, than pay less for unknown brand names and unknown quality.

“You don’t have to be mean to be tough.”
A small sign a few inches above the doorknob, this is the first impression that a visitor gets of Mrs. Schalge, the new twelfth grade vice principal.
Mrs. Schalge brings many ideas to the position. She believes that it is important to be compassionate, consistent, and understanding when dealing with students.
Mrs. Schalge is not new to the job. As a native of Greece, New York, she has taught for 24 years in the Greece school district and for the last four years served as the vice principal at Greece Odyssey. However, Mrs. Schalge discovered that she was beginning to lose perspective from staying in the same district for so long. “It was the right move for me,” she says.
Mrs. Schalge knew that entering the district at this point would be tough. She is in charge of over 600 Webster seniors, who have had two years to adjust to their main class administrator, Mr. Ragusa. She has had to adjust to a new district, a senior class, and the fact that she is replacing someone loved. However, she does not intend to be another Mr. Ragusa. “I can’t be somebody else,” she says.
The position of vice principal is a difficult one, Mr. Ragusa comments. A good administrator needs to be someone who likes change and surprises. The position is “predominantly focused on communication.” Mrs. Schalge takes these difficulties in stride. “I always listen,” she says, when describing how she deals with students. “I go a lot by my gut.”
In her spare time, Mrs. Schalge enjoys singing. In church and the octet that she belongs to, she sings a contemporary style of Christian music. “I almost majored in music, but I couldn’t see myself in a practice room for hours on hours,” she says. “I always keep music as a source of relaxation.”
Students comment on what they think of the new administrator. Marie DiNoto, a senior at Webster, found her to be friendly, polite, and funny. “She was really nice.”
“She seemed very down to earth,” says Emily House, another Webster senior. Above all, Mrs. Schalge enjoys what she does. “I miss the classroom a lot,” she says, remembering her teaching days, though she loves her job as an administrator. “The kids have been really nice,” Mrs. Schalge remarks. “I love getting up in the morning to go to work.”