Bigelow Profile

Vive La Lunch Lady Nicole Bigelow nudges some some of the almost 600 children who come through her lunch line to make healthy choices. “In the cafeteria, he who has spoon is boss” she says with a smirk. Had this petite, black haired woman stayed in France the children would call her “La Dame De La Cantine”. In America, she’s simply “the lunch lady”. While the title in former years (like the food itself) left much to be desired, new innovations in the school lunch program at Fitch High reveal the Dame, and her offerings to be anything but blasé. Nicole’s traditions in wholesome family cuisine crossed the Atlantic in 1946. Bound for a not completely new life, she boarded the Queen Mary beside her mother, father, brother Claude and an Australian Sheep Dog named Cookie. They would soon assimilate into the American School district of Groton, Connecticut. The difference between French and American food was not apparent at first. While the School Lunch Program was already set in place by President Truman, it was not used by the Romancant family. This, even though they were, as she put it, “American wannabes”, is one thing that did not change. “We could have eaten Sloppy Joe’s with the rest of our peers but my mother packed our lunch. An egg salad sandwich with cold soup. A homemade sauce that may not have been very good but it wasn’t the sodium filled boxed substitute” she says, then adds the final thought as though it went without saying, “oh, and always a vegetable”. Nicole recounts these memories vividly as we converse in the solarium of her rustic Connecticut home. The house, like herself is small but well stocked. Everything has a purpose, complete with a garden. The TV babbling in the background just in case. The kitchen is ever ready for use, most cabinets are doorless, exposed for ease of access. “I am a much better baker than I am a cook.” One of the only pieces of personal information Nicole offers freely. She remarks on the psychological appeal fresh cooking has. “Freshly baked bread smells better than any woman’s perfume. It’s guaranteed to do something to your pallet. It’s true. Come to think of it, I owe my therapist a loaf of bread.” She continues to emphasize the importance of a healthy lunch. “Children have a big change from middle to high school and I really enjoy having a part in that transformation. In each age it varies. You see a rapid growth when they're little, then it slows down and the physical turns into a mental growth. Proper food choice is important for all of that.” Even a few years ago it would have been thought an odd pairing, this old-world French perspective on a American school lunch system. But with the changing times in school food, Nicole finally sees slow food catch up. When asked if she saw a possibility of the French style incorporated into the American idiom she leans towards me making sure we lock eyes and whispers with intensity as though she’s telling me a great secret, “It already has.” Under the supervision of Food Service Program Director Ernie Koschmieder, food brought in weekly from Whittle’s Farm in Mystic, Connecticut. “They used to cook the nutrients right out of the broccoli till it turned brown. Now they’re giving them a whole cup of raw vegetables!” For the hopeful, this is just the beginning. “In Picardy the sandwiches are served open faced, so you’re only getting half the bread. And there is real cheese and meat without nitrates.” Somehow the behavior in the children of this generation seems to be an improvement. This is something Nicole attributes in part to the removal sugary drinks in the halls. “We don’t have as many fights in the lunch room like we used to, there is less aggression. And they have a much healthier look. I would say that’s the absence of the soda machine. It took about five years for that to clear of the kids craving soda. It’s created a habit of better behavior.” She fidgets with the remote flipping through channels mindlessly as she draws back to her childhood in comparison. Growing up in an almost militaristic style household, she remembers unusual punishments when any of the five siblings caused mischief. “If we misbehaved we didn’t eat the beans, we had to kneel on them. Ouch.” It’s these details in understanding of the student’s needs that show Nicole truly cares for their wellbeing. As Director Ernie recounts “Nicole is a delight. She encourages the kids to make healthier choices.” “I find kids to be very helpful and very eager to help out,” she said. So when the Falcon Cafe developed, Nicole was very enthusiastic to see the children have something to do. “The kids are learning how to do for themselves.” During our conversation, we are interrupted by the television with the news of a school shooting at an Oregon Community College. “Now why would they do that?” she says with a tone of frustration and practicality. “Maybe he didn’t eat lunch that day.”