On Feb. 28, trays of cookies, pizza and smoothies whirled around Community’s first floor as the CHS jazz musicians played their hearts out. The soiree was to celebrate the grand opening of the Community Café. The new café is not just a new place to grab a quick snack or a drink, it is also an important addition for CHS to make the school more accessible and affordable to all.

There has long been a problem with receiving affordable lunch at CHS. Before the café, Community was the only Ann Arbor Public School (AAPS) to not have a functioning kitchen. 10 years ago, lunches were brown-bagged meals handed out in the office. Dean Marci Tuzinski and her predecessor Jen Hein worked to improve conditions and eventually, hot lunch was trucked over from the bigger, local schools. This, although certainly an improvement, left a bit to be desired as the food quality suffered from the truck rides and the breakfast remained bagged meals that lacked nutritional value.