LOGAN, Utah — A fifth-grade student in Logan Utah was upset when he discovered one of his favorite foods was no longer on the school lunch menu. So he took action.
Bentley Jivina loves tacos and to him, nothing makes more sense than Taco Tuesday at school.
"They didn't serve me taco Tuesday," he remembered. "Then I was like 'hey where's the tacos?'"
Instead of finding a new favorite lunchtime food, Jivina enlisted help from his classmates to bring back the unbeatable cuisine.
According to Jivina, there were three main reasons why he thought Taco Tuesday should make its triumphant return. Tacos have protein, it would be easy for lunch staff members to clean up and most importantly, the tacos would help bring back the Mexican spirit to Bridger Elementary.
First, Jivina wrote a letter to the district and then his classmates joined in, writing an essay with their simple request.
"Taco Tuesday is the school favrouites if you bring it back you revive the Mexican spirit!" Jivina wrote in his letter, accompanied by a picture of a taco that reads "taco and hapyness."
After touching on the nutritional value of tacos, the class cited the popularity of tacos, saying students at the school preferred tacos over other entrees being served.
"They are delicious. Many people love them. It’s a great way to appreciate other cultures, in this case, the Mexican culture. If you bring back Taco Tuesday, we know that Logan City School District schools will be grateful," the letter reads.
FULL LETTER: Read the full letter written by Bridger Elementary students
That's when Paul Guymon, Child Nutrition Manager for the Logan School District, got involved.
"I received another letter from...fifth-grade students and in that letter they asked, 'can we have taco Tuesday back because students really like it, they like Mexican food and they want to participate in that,'" Guymon said. "It went as far as getting signatures from most students including my staff that are here today and they were supportive of this venture."
Guymon explained the taco meal, which was actually originally served on Thursdays, was discontinued at the end of last school year.
"We stopped it overall, it's a pretty labor-intensive meal for our staff," he said. "It's also a labor-intensive meal to clean up for our staff. It has a lot more mess to it than other meals do."
Once he received the letter, Guymon discussed bringing tacos to the outspoken students.
"I think the students here presented a convincing case that they wanted something and by all means, we want our students to enjoy what they eat and have a nutritious meal as well," he said.
Saying a meal is only nutritious if eaten, Guymon was eager to make tacos happen, even though it meant more work.
"If the students are excited and engaged with our cafeteria, they're more prone to eat it and eating meals provides nutrition," he reflected.
On Tuesday, March 12, Bridger Elementary students got a taste of their rewards, participating in the first-ever Taco Tuesday.
Students were seen eagerly chomping down on the hard-shelled tacos with their friends, enjoying every last bite.
Principal Kandice Goodman explained after the students indulged in their tacos, they would have the opportunity to vote on whether the meal should make a permanent return.
"Today it's a little bit different, it's not a soft shell, it's a hard shell," she said. "The kids get to vote on if they think this is acceptable and if we should bring back taco Tuesdays with a hard shell."
Students got a sticker and placed them on boards marking whether or not they enjoyed the lunch. While you can't please everyone and some students voted against Taco Tuesday, the vast majority were proud to cast their vote in favor of tacos.
"I've heard some rumblings and I've been watching them eat and they're very excited about the tacos regardless of the hard shell - because it's so fun to eat a taco, right?" Candice reflected.
Guymon called the whole process a "really positive" thing, saying it was fun for everybody involved.
"It's been a fun experience for our staff, for myself to see students involved in the democratic process," he said. "I think they handled it really really well, they were convincing and kind in what they did."
The taco lunches will also be extended out to other schools in the district, so all Logan students will be able to satisfy their taco cravings.
"After reading your letter and considering all of the factors, I have decided to offer tacos on a trial basis," Guymon said in a letter back to the students. "I have already finalized February’s menus, but in March I will add a hard-shelled taco to one Tuesday. On that day, I will have posters in your cafeteria for all of the students to mark whether they liked the tacos. If the majority of the students like them, I will add them to the menu cycle once a month."
Overall, the whole experience shows how if you have a problem, all you have to do is "taco" 'bout it in order to get a solution.
