You see them day in and day out as you pass by them in the line for sandwiches or the cash register. But do you know who they are? We wandered through Aramark services on both campuses seeking out some of students’ favorite cafeteria staff. Not all of them were forthcoming, including everyone’s favorite, Jan, in Gorham, who shooed us away. Here are the ones who could bear having a recorder and a camera aimed at them. Interviews are in order of photos, from left to right.
Senayet Shihamit
Title: Supervisor
Home: Westbrook
Aramark tenure: Five years
Past jobs: managing a rent a car company in the United Arab Emirates.
What’s your favorite book? Any Agatha Christi book.
And movie? I love action movies.
What do you think about the election season? Let’s not go there.
What are your thoughts on spring?
Ahh, I wish the whole year was spring. I love it.
What’s your favorite food? Ingera (Ethiopian Bread). I make it at home. It’s made with Teff flour, which you can’t get in the U.S. But I order it on line. It’s grown only in Ethiopia.
Brenda Williams
Title: Head Deli Cook
Home: Waterboro
Aramark tenure: Six months
What’s your favorite book and movie? Gone with the Wind and Gone with the Wind
What do you think of the election season? Very confused and disappointed, I’m not very impressed with our selection of candidates.
What’s your favorite food to make at work? Pizza
Least favorite? Tuna Fish
Any words of wisdom: My mom always told me that crying only gets you red eyes.
Megan Hebert
Title: Barista, Cashier
Home: Gorham
Aramark tenure: Seven months
What’s your favorite book:
I don’t really read that often. The last book I read was a little kid’s book about balloons to the child I was babysitting.
What are your thoughts on spring?
I’m really excited for spring. Really, really excited for spring.
Favorite food? Probably potatoes, because you can make them into a whole bunch of different things and they always taste good.
Favorite food to make? Smoothies
Least favorite food to make? When I try to do the grill and I don’t know what I’m doing.
Words of wisdom? Stay in school as long as you can and get a degree.
Sandra Deluca
Title: Deli Cook
Home: Portland
Aramark tenure: Eight months
Favorite book? The new book I’m reading ‘Eat, Love, and Pray.’
Favorite movie? Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
What do you think of the election season? I think I’m going to vote for Barack. I think it is time for change.
Favorite food? Chocolate
Least favorite food to make here?
Chicken Caesar Wraps
Words of wisdom? I have three 23-year-old sons and they don’t even listen to me.
Andy Tukey
Title: Bleeker Chef
Home: Portland
Aramark tenure: Nine months
Favorite book? ‘The Jungle’ by Upton Sinclair.
Last movie you saw? ‘There Will Be Blood’ with Daniel Day Lewis
What do you think of the election season? Interesting couple of candidates, Clinton and Obama, but I’m kind of jaded by the whole two-party system.
What are your thoughts on spring?
It’s a little warm for spring right now. I walk everywhere; I’m surprised that it is already almost 60 degrees out.
Favorite food? Tuna Steak, real rare.
Favorite food to make here? I just like cooking for people, slinging the plates across and saying how’s it going.
Least favorite food to make here?
The mushrooms, because everyone else doesn’t like how they smell when I cook them and I hear it.
William “Gee” Garrison
Position: Grill Cook
Home: Portland
Aramark tenure: On and off since 1999
What’s your favorite book? Basically The Bible. There’s more truth to it than anything else I read.
Favorite movie? I’m a James Bond fan.
What do you think of the election season? It’s good to have a woman and a minority. It’s not the same old same old. I think the way change is, is having a woman and an African American. Could be a change, a good change.
Least favorite food to make here?
Mexican, it’s good, but I don’t like making it.
Any words of wisdom? The way we see things and look at things is not always what we really see. I think love and peace and knowledge is one of the best things we have on this earth if we use it.