Got 30 cents? BK students deal with bulky and jangling pockets of change

By Matt Walling

Change has struck the menu price list in the Bishop Kelly cafeteria, one that is causing a split of views between students and cafeteria faculty. The price of milk has gone from 25 cents, to 30 cents.
Avid cookie and milk lovers like myself have become very accustomed to going up to the lunch counter and asking for a delicious BK cookie with a carton of milk, for no more than an even dollar bill.
Many students are outraged over such a move. There is a current "milk strike" going on as well, as angry students unite.
Senior Oscar Carillo said "I'm speaking for all of the students that are against the 30 cent milk" said Carillo. "Thirty cents is the most difficult amount of change to get, because who carries around a pocket full of nickels. If I pay two dollars with two bills, I get ninety-five cents back, I don't want 95 cents bouncing around in my pocket all day either."
With the state of the current economy over the last couple years, everyone has seen very high prices on one thing or another.
Last year at this time, economic experts were predicting milk to be at $5 a gallon. This year has turned out to be a much different story. Milk prices are dropping rapidly; falling 50 percent from where they were a year ago, due to falling export demand and oversupply.
So if milk prices are plummeting in stores, why are they jumping in Bishop Kelly? Rafael Najera, our new cafeteria manager said. "Raising the price of milk is a school decision, not a company decision from our distributer. I have employees here to pay, and other fees to cover, I need the profit." He said after viewing the actual sales receipt from Meadow Gold Dairies, that it becomes obvious why a quarter for milk just wasn't cutting it, each carton is sold to the cafeteria for 0.2488 cents. Not even a penny of profit is made for each milk sold.
Mr. Najera is making good profit on milk in another way; "We are not selling as many milks as we were when they were just a quarter, but surprisingly, we are selling more in the machine where the milk is 50 cents."
While the 30 cent price may anger you, don't jump to conclusions, the original plan by administration was to sell all milks for 50 cents. It was Mr. Najera that jumped in and spoke up for the student body, suggesting that thirty cents was a much more reasonable figure.
Next time you consider buying milk, just remember that that extra nickel makes a difference in our cafeteria budget and to the paychecks of the hard working employees that prepare all the food, and do so joyfully, always smiling as we walk through the line each and every day.