An unusual guest has become a notable figure in the cafeteria. This mythical cardboard creature with fluffy brown fur, gnarled feet and long, sharp claws is none other than a sasquatch. Unlike the elusive and mysterious sasquatches of legend, this sasquatch adds a daily dose of fun to the lunchroom.
The creature, branded by Jack Links, a company known for its packaged meat products, made an unexpected appearance in mid-April. The arrival of the sasquatch came as a surprise to both students and cafeteria staff.
“Jack Links just sent him over,” kitchen manager Rachel Bowden said. “They already knew I’ve had my cardboard cutout of Darth Vader for like four years. They were just like, ‘You have a cardboard cutout, have another one.’ I was like ‘Okay,’ so they sent him over here and that’s how we got him.”
The sasquatch is not just a static figure in the cafeteria, as it’s become a part of the school culture, often dressed up for special occasions. Costumes and props have been used to transform the sasquatch into a festive feature for these events.
“It’s actually a lot of fun to come up with some of the stuff to put on,” Bowden said. “We made him the cafeteria king when it was prom week, so we gave him a crown. We had a sombrero for a taco day. I’m actually going to look into getting clothing for him.”
In addition to costumes and other clothing, the sasquatch holds interesting information on his right hand. These bits of trivia change every day, so students and faculty can learn new things all year round.
“Every Friday, he’ll have next week’s lunch menu,” Bowden said. “Then, just during the week, it’s just facts for the day. Things like it’s National ‘Whatever’ Day or ‘On this day X number of years ago.’ Just random facts that happened on that day.”
The sasquatch has quickly become a familiar face amongst students, who look forward to seeing what costume or prop it will don or what facts it could be carrying the next day. Students find it a delightful addition to their daily routine.
“I think it’s very funny that he just showed up one day,” sophomore Hannah Zimmerman said. “I like that he tells us what’s for lunch the next day and all the fun facts he has. I think it’s very kind of him to do so.”
In order to keep the sasquatch fresh and interesting, Bowden and other kitchen staff members are planning new additions to him and his antics. They are even considering adding another character to join the fun.
“It probably won’t happen this year, obviously, but next year he’ll [the sasquatch] have a girlfriend,” Bowden said, “and then I don’t know what I’ll do with her.”
However, before his girlfriend arrives next year, he needs something else—a name.
“We thought about asking students [for a name], but it’s so close to the end of the year at this point,” Bowden said. “Maybe we could start it next year as an opening thing.”
With plans for new additions and increased student involvement, the sasquatch will continue to be a part of the cafeteria experience going into next year.
“When he showed up, it was just like, ‘Oh, let’s have a little bit of fun with him,’” she said, “and then the kids actually reacted very well to him, so we’re like ‘All right. Well, we’ll keep it going and see where it goes.’ I’m glad we decided to stick with him.”
