Episode 219: Why a Former Student Is Still Craving Bingham High Cafeteria Food Years After Graduation

♪♪♪

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Years after graduating from Bingham High School, a former student couldn't stop craving a cafeteria item that she ate almost every day. She even doubted whether she would ever get to enjoy it again.

On this episode of the Supercast, hear the story of two Bingham High graduates, now married, and how they were downright determined to get their hands on a couple of beloved Bingham cafeteria spicy chicken sandwiches. Find out how they got the surprise of a lifetime in the process of their culinary pursuit.

♪♪♪

George:
Hello!

Anthony Godfrey:
Hi, how are you?

Brianna:
We're so good.

Anthony Godfrey:
My name is Anthony Godfrey. I'm the Superintendent of Schools for Jordan School District.

Brianna:
That's amazing!

Anthony Godfrey:
And I understand that you're a fan of the spicy chicken sandwich.

George:
The biggest fan.

Brianna:
A loyal fan.

Anthony Godfrey:
A loyal fan.

Brianna:
Yeah, think about it every day.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, this is your lucky day because, as you can probably tell, I have a bunch of foil-wrapped spicy chicken sandwiches straight from Bingham High School.

Brianna:
Oh gosh.

Anthony Godfrey:
These are not just spicy chicken sandwiches from the Jordan District. It is from Bingham High School.

Brianna:
Oh my gosh, thank you so much.

Anthony Godfrey:
Can we enjoy some spicy chicken sandwiches with you?

Brianna:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
We can do it out here if you'd like. I know we're surprising you.

George:
Um, well you probably have to take your lunch, right?

Brianna:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
We can do it right out here. We even brought some chairs.

Brianna;
Oh, perfect. I'm Brianna, this is George. We went to Bingham, how many years ago now? Like five or six?

George:
We graduated in 2017, so it's been six years since we graduated.

Brianna:
Yeah, and we've been together for five years, and basically like, probably once a month I joke about all the time how I think spicy chicken sandwiches are just amazing. If I could go back to Bingham for those, I would.

George:
I've been trying to figure it out for years and then I finally was like, I just got to–

Brianna:
It's time.

George:
I got to go up the chain, you know, got to ask them.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, now you, you just clicked on the website and said – tell us about the message that you sent because it got all of our attention.

George:
I basically just said, um, well, like my wife loves the chicken sandwiches and I need to figure out how to get them because we like just found out recently that she was pregnant and so I was like, I have to get them.

Brianna:
It's a perfect excuse.

George:
You know, it's like I have to. After all these years of joking and you're like, ‘ah, one day, you know, maybe somehow’ now I'm like, well, it's, you know, it's go time. I got to get them.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's go time. So you sent in a comment and we are responsive to the comments sent in on the website. Not always this responsive where I personally travel to Saratoga Springs, but today is an exception because it's the first time I've heard specifically about someone who was such a devoted fan of the spicy chicken sandwich. So here's my question. I know that you just found out that you're pregnant. Do you account for this as a craving specifically or is this something that you have craved long before finding out that you were expecting?

Brianna:
Definitely long before I literally, like I said, I've commented on it probably a good 10 times over the years about how much I love it. And now it's just the perfect excuse where he can't say no. He had to figure it out.

George;
Yeah, literally. I can't even tell you how many times she's talked about wanting the spicy chicken sandwiches because we'll talk about like school and stuff because we kind of didn't really cross paths at Bingham and we only met after.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

George:
And so we've talked about our experiences and every time we bring up like high school in any way, it's always like the sandwich will come up as like, “I love those chicken sandwiches. They were just the best.”

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, our nutrition services director was pretty pleased to hear the impact with the spicy chicken sandwiches had on your life.

Brianna:
They know what they're doing.

Anthony Godfrey:
And we asked about the recipe and just to point out your husband's devotion, the recipe is for 250 sandwiches. And he said, “You know what? I'll make 250 and we'll just put them in the freezer.” Like he was ready to lean into that recipe. But we actually brought a 2017 yearbook from the archives for you to browse through to kind of jog some other Bingham memories. And you didn't meet in high school. Is that right?

George:
Yeah, we didn't. We actually had the same - she was in a class that I had with Moritz.

Brianna:
Yeah, two of them.

George:
She sat like two seats behind me. I never knew until after.

Brianna:
We were kind of like, he had a friend group, I had a friend group, and they were kind of passing by each other.

George:
So we were very much in orbit.

Brianna:
Yeah.

George:
Never collided.

Brianna:
Never talked too much.

Anthony Godfrey:
And then the gravitational pull kicked in.

George:
It was too strong. Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right.

George:
I also remember we did like they did like this drone shot.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh yeah.

George:
That was really good.

Anthony Godfrey:
I see that there with 17.

George:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, and the apostrophe. I think the people in the apostrophe must feel pretty cool.

George:
They probably do. For sure. It was an exclusive club.

Anthony Godfrey:
That they got to be apostrophe people.

Brianna:
I think it was in the one somewhere.

Anthony Godfrey:
It was probably a lottery drawing to be part of the apostrophe instead of the one or the seven.

George:
Probably, yeah.

Brianna:
There's my picture.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh yeah. There you are.

Brianna:
And then there's George's.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Wow. That's awesome.

George:
I know. It's close to each other in the yearbook too. I know.

Anthony Godfrey:
Look, I'll tell you, you have not aged in the last five to seven years.

George:
Yes. I know.

Anthony Godfrey:
You're looking great. You're looking great.

George:
When I was 16, it was funny because I always had like a baby face. I remember I worked at Best Buy and someone was like, “How old do you have to be to work here?” And I was like “16”. They're like, “Oh, you look 12.” And I was like, “Oh, thank you. Thank you so much for that.”

Anthony Godfrey:
That used to happen to me too, but yeah. Winter is coming.

George:
Yeah. Exactly.

Anthony Godfrey:
That won't last forever.

George:
Exactly. So the older I get, the more I'm thankful that I have a baby face cause you know what? I'm youthful.

Anthony Godfrey:
You look fantastic. You look fantastic.

George:
Thank you, thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now tell me, so when are you due?

Brianna:
It’s super early. So like June, July?

George:
Yeah. We barely,  just barely found out.

Brianna:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, that's fantastic. Congratulations.

Brianna:
Thank you. Thank you. And thank you for this wonderful gift.

George:
Yeah. We'll remember this for sure.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now to enhance your Bingham experience today, the principal was very excited when we told him this story. So he has gathered a bunch of swag for you that we want to share with you now. Straight from the principal, we have a sweatshirt for each of you and a blanket for both of you. A huge Bingham blanket, which is pretty exciting. That'll come in handy, especially with the baby.

And the principal sent two pins from the year that you graduated. These become very limited right after that year passes. So from the archive, a pin for each of you from the year you graduated and a pin from this year for the baby when it's born. So the Bingham tradition for you guys continues. So Bingham didn't bring you together in the moment, but Bingham brought you together eventually.

George:
It did. It did because look at the impact it's having right now.

Brianna:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us. When we come back, we find out what all the fuss is about as we bite into a Bingham High spicy chicken sandwich.

Break:
Does your student want to become a veterinarian, commercial pilot, programmer? Maybe they want to make a difference as a dental assistant, work in digital media, robotics, welding, or web design. These are just some of the programs offered as part of Career and Technical Education, CTE in Jordan School District. CTE provides the technical skills needed to prepare students for future employment and/or a successful transition to post-secondary education. Career and Technical Education provides work-based learning opportunities. We partner with industry experts to offer apprenticeships and internships with students working in the real world at real jobs while going to school. The CTE experience starts in our elementary schools with the Kids' Marketplace and grows through middle and high school. Our two Jordan Academy for Technology and Careers (JATC) campuses offer unique programs to fit your child’s dreams for the future. To explore all CTE has to offer in Jordan School District visit cte.jordandistrict.org today and let's get your child started on the pathway to a profession.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now we were able to catch you at home because you both get to work from home several days a week. Tell me what you're each doing now.

George:
So I do complaints reporting for Lending Club Bank. So just analyzing complaints, trends, stuff like that, and then my reports get set up to the executives.

Anthony Godfrey:
Great!

Brianna:
Yeah, I work for the same company. Luckily, I also work from home and I do credit underwriting to approve like personal loans.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, awesome! Nice to be able to work from home and that'll be great when the baby comes as well.

Brianna:
It is nice and even worst case the office is only like 10 minutes away so overall it's a really nice location with work.

George:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Same school, same job.

Brianna:
Even the same middle school for a minute.

Anthony Godfrey:
And the same middle school? Really?

George:
We both went to Elkridge for two years and then I went to South Jordan Middle for ninth grade.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's awesome.

George:
I know. Well, actually it's funny this is a story that I always love. She had my– in seventh grade, I just moved to South Jordan. I lived in Saratoga Springs prior so I was new, no one knew me. I had a math class I think it was Miss Graff.

Brianna:
Yeah.

George:
And she sat at the same table as me in seventh grade. I don't remember this but she remembers this because she said she had a crush on me when she first saw me at the table. And then when Miss Graff did roll call and said my name she stopped having a crush on me.

Anthony Godfrey:
Really?

George:
Back in seventh grade she said–

Brianna:
My little 12-year-old brain.

Anthony Godfrey:
And why was that?

George:
She didn't like the name George you know. That’s just how it is.

Anthony Godfrey:
George shut it down for a while.

George:
It shut it all down, but look at where we are now.

Anthony Godfrey:
Look at you overcoming that name.

George:
Overcoming challenges.

Anthony Godfrey:
I like the name George but she does now too right?

George:
She does now too for sure.

Brianna:
It doesn’t make 12-year-old me shine super bright but –

Anthony Godfrey:
No, hey, hey! We all evolve. We grow up. Things change.

George:
Exactly. Exactly.

Anthony Godfrey:
Without any further ado, I have hot spicy chicken sandwiches from Bingham right in front of me. How long has it been since you had one?

Brianna:
2017.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's been since since high school.

George:
It’s been like 7½ years. It’s been forever.

Brianna:
Yeah, right before graduation.

Anthony Godfrey:
And how frequently would you say when you were at Bingham you had a spicy chicken sandwich?

Brianna:
That's literally all I had for lunch.

Anthony Godfrey:
Every day.

Brianna:
If I ate lunch. Probably at least three times a week.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay well, here you are. Here's a platter of your favorite chicken sandwich. So maybe take one from the bottom maybe it's a little hotter.

Brianna:
Okay okay.

Anthony Godfrey:
And I just want us to wait and see your reaction. So you go right ahead. She's gonna unveil it right now.

George:
It's been so long.

Anthony Godfrey:
Her hands are shaking a little bit.

Brianna:
I know.

Anthony Godfrey:
She's pretty excited.

Brianna:
I know I am. Look at her in all of her glory.

Anthony Godfrey:
Does it look like you remember?

Brianna:
It does.

George:
The same bun.

Brianna:
She's fluffier dare I say.

Anthony Godfrey:
Made with the same level of love.

Brianna:
She's beautiful.

George:
Yeah. Is it exactly how you remember?

Brianna:
It's wonderful.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now it's like a Proustian Madeleine that is taking you back to your childhood.

Brianna:
Yeah.

George:
It's like the scene in Ratatouille when the critic eats the food and it like transports him back.

Anthony Godfrey:
Exactly.

Brianna:
I can hear kids screaming in the lunchroom.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's bringing it all back.

Brianna:
It is so perfect. Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay here now you can experience as well your wife's delight and I'm gonna have one too. I'm gonna join you.

Brianna:
Yeah.

George:
Yeah. Might as well.

Brianna:
Join the party.

Anthony Godfrey:
Doug's holding the microphone. No chicken sandwich.

Brianna:
I’ll enjoy it for you. This is great.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right. Let's peel it away. Oh, it does feel good. It's a nice soft bun.

Brianna:
I know. The bun might even be better. It's so fluffy.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's a good sando.

Brianna:
Right.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow.

Brianna:
The director knows what they're doing. This is so good.

Anthony Godfrey:
No wonder.

George:
I know, right?

Brianna:
I know.

George:
Just one of those things. You have it like every day when you're in school. You take it for granted and then you leave and you're like wait a minute, I can't get this at a restaurant.

Brianna:
It has a nostalgia that nothing else has. It's just too good.

Anthony Godfrey:
So tell me some of the memories this brings back. Do you remember who you had lunch with? And whether you had A or B lunch? And what are some of the Bingham memories that come back?

Brianna:
I definitely preferred the later lunch.

George:
Yeah.

Brianna:
It made the day go by faster.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh really? So by the time you get to lunch, you're done with three class periods and you've only got one to go.

George:
Exactly.

Brianna:
I'm nearly out of there.

Brianna:
But I remember being friends with Sophia Foresta. She did like BMX, had Sports Illustrated come at the time.

George:
Oh yeah, I remember that.

Brianna:
Yeah. Sophia is pretty cool. Some other friends Courtney, Alexis, I don't know. We're all grown up now.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now I heard that there was a particular teacher that was very impactful for you at Bingham.

Brianna:
Yes, Miss Bridge. She's amazing. She deserves everything good.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about her.

Brianna:
I don't know. There's so much I can say. She just really made me like think about the real world which I appreciate, because when you're in high school all you think about is yourself. So she made me like think and form my own opinions for myself and be like “what do you think about that” or “why do you think that way?” So she made me think like an adult for the first time.

Anthony Godfrey:
And tell me about your teacher experience as a thing.

George:
I had a couple of teachers that I really liked but I would say specifically if I were to call like anyone for being the best. I would say Kevin Moritz. He is like fantastic. He really like I think like without him I would not be like the same person I am today because he he taught like social studies. He also did like Econ stuff like that and the way that he would teach was so like engaging and fun but at the same time he was very like real about what he was talking about. You know he wouldn't sugarcoat anything. There was no bias in any of it and it seemed like he really cared about like the well-being for his students and he just he left like a pretty big mark on me. So I would shout him out forever. He's the best.

Brianna:
He's a good one too.

Anthony Godfrey:
Any other thoughts about Bingham before we let you before we leave you with the sandwiches to do with what you will?

George:
I'd also like to shout out the sub sandwiches. Oh, those are my personal favorite.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

George:
This is Brianna's. My favorite was the sub sandwiches. I love them so much. I don't know what the mayonnaise was made of. Honestly, it was a little runny and kind of strange but it was my favorite. It was my favorite. Like that's the best way I could put it. I don't know like when I look back at it that's my chicken sandwich and I'm like what I would do to have a sub sandwich with way too much mayonnaise on it.

Anthony Godfrey:
And this is how considerate he was. He never mentioned the sub sandwich.

George:
I didn’t want to muddy the waters.

Anthony Godfrey:
He was all about taking care of you. He was making sure you had what you needed.

Brianna:
That's amazing.

Anthony Godfrey:
So let us know. You can stop by an a la carte to either one anytime. I have nine or ten of them for you and the reason I'm vague about the number is because I think I'm taking one more with me.

George:
I don't blame you.

Anthony Godfrey:
No, I'm just kidding. It is a very tasty sandwich though. Previously my favorite meal was the macaroni and cheese that we make in Jordan District, but now that I found out that the chicken sandwich is so delicious and it's spicy every day of the week, that a la carte item is going to be on my list as well. So thank you for helping me understand better the options available.

George:
Gotta spread the word you know.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's right. Spread the word. So those listening you know let us know. Shoot me an email. We'll hook you up with a chance for an a la carte spicy chicken sandwich.

Thank you very much for taking the time and for letting us surprise you here with some sandwiches. I'm probably the only person that's going to surprise you with spicy chicken sandwiches today. So don't get your hopes up for another visit.

Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.