by Johnny Hagerman
Staff Writer
They clean tables, serve food, and pretend to not be irritated by friendly food fights that tend to break out during the anxiety-filled finals weeks.
Their presence adds to the refined ambiance of the dining experience at the University of La Verne’s Davenport Dining Hall. But just who are these people?
Not just faces in green Aramark polo shirts, these workers have lives outside the decorated La Verne watering hole, and those lives are not within the confines of ULV.
Outside his duties at La Verne bussing tables and serving fine cuisine to students, Vince Quiñones, a general utility worker at Davenport, is also a full-time high school student in his senior year at Charter Oak High School in Covina.
Jonathan Kelley, also a Charter Oak senior, came to work at the Davenport a little over a year ago and has been working as a general utility worker five days a week while completing his last year of high school.
Quiñones, who has been working since May, came to Davenport at the recommendation of Kelley.
“It isn’t a bad job,” said Quiñones. “The hours are good because we get off at 8 p.m. and have time to do homework or go out on the weekends.”
While making extra money and getting work experience, these young men seem to also be getting a sense of what it is like to be among upstanding and mature college students.
“I’ve come across some guys who act like real idiots sometimes,” said Quiñones, “But they’re OK most of the time.”
Quiñones plans to stay with his job for a while until baseball season comes around.
“It is my senior year, so I want to have as much fun as I can.”
Kelley also graduates this year and plans to attend college.
“I’m not sure where I want to go yet, or what I want to major in. I just want to do something that isn’t routine or behind a desk,” he said.
When he is not at school or working, Kelley spends time helping a friend fix up a 1971 Duster that looks like a version of Al Bundy’s car.
Next time while enjoying the dining experience of Davenport, take some time to realize that the people who help make it possible are not the average young adults, but rather a few energetic young people trying to make the experience pleasant.
Johnny Hagerman
