8 Life, Style, & Arts
Volume 8 Issue 7
Working together
Gabrielle Wilkosz Cassidy Hayes
co-editor
staff reporter
Peers connect as co-workers around community A cheesy love story
It’s
Wednesday at Yaghi’s pizzeria and as late afternoon starts easing into early evening, the phone rings with fewer and fewer minutes in between orders. It’s the sign. The dinner rush has begun. As if on queue, the front doors of the shop fly open and junior Rebeca Morales takes her place at the cash register with senior Colin Marek prepping to deliver. The couple takes a split second to look at one another, and then it’s time to work. After starting to regularly date in No-
vember, Marek joined Morales at Yaghi’s pizzeria in January. “There aren’t any bad parts to working with Rebeca honestly,” Marek said. “We just do our jobs and coexist really well.” However, before the days of Morales working the front counter and Marek working as a delivery boy, Morales and Marek were just distant acquaintances connected through mutual friends. “Colin and I met through our friends Stone and Johnny and we all went to a movie night at Johnny’s house and things
took off from there,” Morales said. “I fell for him kind of quickly. He’s so nice it’s crazy.” At first Morales and Marek’s managers were hesitant to let them work together because they were dating, but eventually the managers allowed it, leading Marek and Morales to discover how well they balance each other out. “Rebeca is really good with people skills, but I’m not good at talking to customers up front.” Marek said. “I’m good at delivering orders and making sure everything is clean and neat because I’m more of a neat
person with her.” Regardless, earning money and staying focused is the first priority for both coworkers, despite the added benefit of being in the same room. “I don’t want to say I ignore Colin, but I definitely zone in on what I’m doing when working because you have to be professional,” Morales said. “It works out for us in the end too because if we work together we have more free time together to do couple things like go on dates and watch movies.”
‘Did the power go out?!’” Once Myers realized the power hadn’t gone out, he was quick to forgive Hernandez for the prank and continue with business as usual. Even though under Hernandez’s current schedule, Myers and Hernandez now only work two days out of the week together, the co-workers agree there are perks to working with friends when the chance presents itself. “The best part about working with Josh
is whenever we share sandwiches,” Myers said. “The last one we shared was a Philly cheesesteak and it was a great experience.” After graduating, Hernandez and Myers will part their separate ways, moving on to the next chapter of their lives, but in the meantime, Jersey Mike’s is another place the friends can bond. “Josh is the same guy whether we’re working or at school,” Myers said. “We don’t change depending on where we are, we’re just two guys who make sandwiches.”
Bringing home the B.L.T.
Since
first becoming friends in their middle school science class, seniors Joshua Hernandez and Trevor Myers’s friendship has had to stand the test of time throughout the years. However since Myers first joined Hernandez working at sandwich shop Jersey Mike’s, their friendship has had to undergo a new test, a taste test. “It’s good working with someone you already are acquainted with because you don’t have to go through the process of meeting someone new,” Hernandez said. “If
Pancake pals
Amidst
all the chaos behind the closed doors of IHOP’s kitchen, employees rush to accomplish their tasks. Among them are two juniors, Kelly Ducat, a hostess, and Khimani Smith, a server. Typically working on the weekends, their shifts are long, some last-
you already know you can work hard and get along with someone, it’s a good deal.” After Hernandez referred Myers to Jersey Mike’s, Hernandez and Myers’s relationship went unchanged despite working shifts together. “We joke a lot,” Hernandez said. “Joking is something [Trevor and I] have in common. One stormy night the weather was really bad outside and [Trevor] was inside the refrigerator and I closed the door on him and turned off all the lights. He was like
ing six hours or more. Working in the same job in addition to attending the same school allows tag teaming and multiple opportunities to get to know the fellow students. “We help each other out,” Smith said. “You can connect on a lot of levels, I’ve bonded really well.” For Ducat, her job at IHOP has benefits beyond the financial
aspect. To her, it also offers many additional opportunities for learning and growing. “They definitely give opportunities to try new things,” Ducat said. “It’s nice. Each time I tried something new, I was really excited.” Ducat also feels that her job benefits her on many levels including personal growth, learning, and values her employment taught her.
“It’s definitely taught me to be more patient,” Ducat said. “And be more generous at other restaurants because I understand what they go through.” Similarly, Smith also learned personal lessons and values through being in stressful conditions. “Its taught me how to connect with people,” Smith said. “Its taught me how to be patient.”