Get to know lunch ladies Amber Davis and Anna love for food and music

The Faces Behind the

Lunch ladies Amber Davis and Anna Paradise share a friendship, passion for food and appreciation of music.

BY ANNA TOMKA PRINT MANAGING EDITOR

Food

SERVICE WITH A SMILE

Lunch ladies Amber Davis and Anna Paradise pose together after serving lunch in the school cafeteria. (Photo by Anna Tomka)

As students saunter into school early each morning, the cafeteria is brought to life by a speaker in the kitchen playing boisterous music from a plethora of diverse genres. Mouthwatering scents flood the room and hint passers by that fresh food is starting to be prepared. Lunch ladies Anna Paradise and Amber Davis are responsible for the lively tunes as well as the savory aromas that travel out the cafeteria doors and into the crowded halls. Davis and Paradise are known for their culinary skills, but many are unaware of their tight bond outside of school and taste for music.

The close-knit pair never encounter the same, unchallenging day. Two to three times a week, Davis and Paradise unload around six to seven hundred dollars worth of food from Restaurant Depot. They work side-by-side to distribute about 100 meals every day, and the two do their best to provide the freshest ingredients for their consumers by seeking out distributors who work closely with local farms. Davis and Paradise enjoy traveling to the River Market on Sundays together to search for new healthy and local food options.

“We want to teach kids to eat healthier and branch out. When I was in college, I was never prepared to make those smart choices when it came to eating,” Davis said. “No one prepares you guys to be on your own. We want to teach girls things like how simply adding olive oil on broccoli can make it just as tasty as an Easy Mac while remaining much more nutritious.”

Educating students about the importance of their food choices means a lot to the pair of women, who strive to cook as organically as possible, especially in the springtime. McGonigle’s Market often supplies their meat, and Farm To Market Bread Co their bread. In addition to Restaurant Depot, Whole Foods and Natural Grocers are two of their other favorite grocery stores to shop at. All this hard work to provide quality meals pays off when they view the students finishing their food.

“Our Instagram is @lunchladiezofsion and our Snapchat is @lunchladiez. We love receiving feedback on our food and listening to what the students don’t like or do like,” Paradise said. “Please don’t be afraid to come up to us and tell us what you think of the food. We want to know if you guys like the food the most.”

The two created social media platforms to give students the chance to see behind the scenes action. They show what kind of work is involved in their cooking process. Paradise often posts Snapchat stories of soup recipes and the steps to produce them. Davis uses Instagram and Snapchat to share videos of them being themselves: singing, dancing and joking around.

“I really enjoy how real they are with us, and they talk to us like we’re their peers,” senior Mary Evans said. “Everyday, when I get my lunch, I’ll manage to fit in a dance or two to the songs they play. They don’t just feed me, but they give me confidence to be myself by posting their hilarious videos and pictures.”

Paradise and Davis have unique origin stories when it comes to how their passion for cooking surfaced. Davis grew up with her mother’s terrible cooking, which ultimately drove her to teach herself how to cook not only for her, but for others too. She was also inspired by the Food Network that always played on her television, and professional chefs such as Anthony Bourdain. Davis worked from the bottom of the food chain until she was asked to take over running the kitchen of a restaurant in downtown Kansas City called Milwaukee Delicatessen.

“Taking over that restaurant taught me that I never wanted to be in charge of another one again. Once you own your own kitchen, you don’t have much of a life after that,” Davis said. “Sion gives us more freedom.”

Contrastingly, Paradise grew up alongside a family of talented cooks to learn and grow from. Her brother, Thomas Paradise, is a chef at BŌRU Ramen Bar in Kansas City and her sister, Elizabeth Paradise, is also a pastry chef at Story Restaurant in Prairie Village. Paradise works with her brother at Boru Ramen Bar and at Room 39. She participated in a lot of food-related side jobs where she learned from people more knowledgeable about food. As she worked these jobs, she realized cooking was a hobby she had a zest for.

“My family just has a background with food. I worked with food photography a little, and I read cookbooks like novels at home growing up,” Paradise said. “The Food Network was also my go-to show in high school.” “I enjoy how Music plays a crucial role in both Davis and Paradise’s lives, and it is something that small the school they consistently bond over together. Both is and how grew up loving boy bands such as NSYNC and Backstreet Boys. The duo are also musically every girl is gifted, Paradise playing the piano and Davis playing the ukulele. Their adoration of music comfortable in is reflected through the songs that play continuously while they work. her own skin,”

“We listen to all different kinds of music Paradise said. and have the same taste,” Paradise said. “Except Amber likes songs from musicals “The best part and I don’t. She also hates my classical choir music.” of our job is In Davis’ free time, she cooks for concerts, works backstage catering and ensures dressing being able to rooms are completely stocked for performing artists. Davis has worked backstage for Chance watch all of you the Rapper, G-Eazy, Guns N’ Roses and plans girls grow.” to assist Post Malone this summer.

“I love music so being backstage at concerts is surreal. I worked for the Beach Boys, and I remember the conversation they had about how music just isn’t the same anymore with artists like Kanye,” Davis said. “I love listening to older musician’s conversations.”

Paradise utilizes her own free time to travel to foreign places while continuing to explore her fascination with food. Spain, France and Portugal are among her favorite destinations she has journeyed to. Paradise plans to travel to Paris for a second time later this year, since the city contains her favorite foods. In addition, Paradise cooked for a retreat in Hawaii where she had the chance to encounter island life and live up close and personal with nature. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms is a worldwide association that encourages these educational retreats, which Paradise is familiar with.

“WWOOF is a program that allows you to do great things anywhere,” Paradise said. “I was able to learn a lot about local Hawaiian ingredients while living in a yurt among the wildlife.”

Working in the lunch room has been a notable experience in itself for Davis and Paradise, who rarely spent time around high school students beforehand. The pair takes pleasure in educating the community about nutrition and working towards providing new food options in the future. Overall, IN HER ELEMENT (top) the students are their favorite part about the school, according to Davis. “I enjoy how small the school is and Anna Paradise cooks at Green Dirt Farm for Room 39. (Photo submitted by Anna Paradise) BETTER TOGETHER (bottom) how every girl is comfortable in her own Anna Paradise and Amber Davis take a skin,” Paradise said. “The best part of our selfie at the River Market shopping for job is being able to watch all of you girls ingredients. (Photo submitted by Anna grow.” Paradise)

WINTER OLYMPICS

The 2018 Winter Olympics were held in Pyeongchang, South Korea from Feb. 7 to the 25. The U.S. team finished in 4th with 9 gold, 8 silver and 6 bronze medals. This is the lowest medal count in the Winter Olympics for the U.S. since 1998. The U.S. boasted the youngest ever female to win an Olympic snowboarding medal, 17-year-old snowboarder, Chloe Kim, pictured above. “The Olympics are fun,” senior Ally Crumb said. “My favorite part was watching curling with my mom.” (Photo by MCT Campus)

STORM SCHEDULE

*MARCH 26-28

VARSITY SOCCER GAME MO-KAN TOURNAMENT @AQUINAS

*MARCH 26

CHEER TEAM TRYOUTS NEW GRANDE SALLE

*APRIL 17-19

DANCE TEAM TRYOUT WORKSHOP

*APRIL 11

JV SOCCER GAME HOME VS. LUTHERAN SOUTH

SWIM SUCCESS

Swim team finished 15th out of the 90 teams competing at the State competition Feb. 15 and 16 at St. Peters Recreational Center in St. Peters, Missouri. Senior Sammie Nesslein earned a 6th place medal and sophomore Caroline Knopke earned a 3rd place medal. “It was a great bonding experience,” sophomore swim team member Caroline Ehren said. “Especially getting to know the seniors.” (Photo by Ana Pendergast)

SION OLYMPICS

Seniors won gold, the juniors took silver, and the sophomores finished with bronze at the 2018 Sion Olympics held March 2. The freshmen represented Brazil, the sophomores were Fiji, the juniors were Sweden, and the seniors were the United States. The hallway decorating contest was won by the junior class who utilized a viking theme. “It was really cool to be in one of the opening acts to hype up our grade for all the competition and just having fun,” sophomore Emily Rine said. (Photo by Reagan Amato)

9-PEAT CHAMPS

For the ninth year in a row, dance team won the title of State Champions. The dance team competed against teams from all over Missouri Feb. 24 and 25, with 95 teams at State and 16 in their division, for the distinction. “We were really close to not getting state champs this year,” senior dance team member Alyssa Bolton said. “When they announced our name everyone was really excited.” (Photo by Ava Rawson)

Timson Stays Dedicated to Swim swimmers have been unable to find before, according to senior swim co-captain Ellie Magsamen.

After years of swimming competitively, science teacher Kelly Timson continues to dedicate her time to the sport.

BY REAGAN AMATO REPORTER

Since the age of 6, swim coach and chemistry teacher Kelly Timson has been dedicated to the sport of swimming. After competing through both high school and college, Timson decided to transition to coach.

In high school, Timson’s summer job was teaching people how to swim in her backyard pool. Then the long distance, freestyle swimmer made her way to college, competing at a national level for Iowa State University. Upon graduation, Timson was pulled back into coaching, serving as both an assistant and head coach in Chicago. When she moved to Kansas City, she ended up finding a job as both a teacher and coach at Sion.

“Mrs. Ellwanger was a sorority sister of mine in college, so I contacted her when we were moving here and she said ‘Hey, actually, we need a swim coach’ so, that’s how I ended up here,” Timson said.

As a coach, Timson has found inspiration in her own former high school swim coach.

“He was influential just to me as a person, teaching me about hard work and dedication and things like that,” Timson said. “He also mentored me a lot through my early days of coaching.”

To the girls that she coaches, Timson inspires them in the same way her high school coach did her. She provides one of the best experiences possible for her

“She is the most encouraging and motivational coach,” Parrott said.

Timson also serves as a model of leadership for the swimmers and provides an atmosphere that even club swimmers, according to sophomore Grace Parrott.

“She’s helped me learn how to be a better leader. I never really got that from my club team,” Magsamen said. “She includes me on most decision making and through her example I’ve been able to lead others.”

Swim ended up placing 15th at State, a leap from the previous year’s finish. For Timson, watching the girls grow as both athletes and human beings is her favorite part of being a coach.

“Seeing the swimmers improve from their freshman year to their senior year, not just in the swimming pool, but just seeing their maturity and leadership skills develop is really fun,” Timson said.

TEACHER THROWBACK

Swim Coach Kelly Timson, pictured with her teammates at the 1995 Illinois State swim meet, won the 400 freestyle relay. (Photo submitted by Kelly Timson)