Uni-Trade stadium, home of the Laredo Lemurs, opened yesterday (Thursday, May 17).

For many sports fanatics, the media, and the city council, and basically everyone involved, it was a huge deal. A year of planning had brought them to this moment: would it please the people of Laredo? They had just finished construction in the nick of time, and simply put, everyone was holding their breath.

I was one of those people holding their breath. Back in March, I’d applied to work in the concession stands. Having been rejected (or completely ignored) by Target, Wal Mart, and other stores, I wasn’t sure I would get a call back from them. To my surprise, they did.

And so my journey from being an unemployed and socially awkward seventeen year old to a friendly and efficient concession runner began. Though I attended the trainings and read my handbook several times, I still was extremely nervous. Sure, I would smile and tell people about how excited I was to have finally gotten a job. However, I was constantly wondering if I was cut out for the job. What if I couldn’t do anything right, or my coworkers found me annoying? I had no idea what to expect at all, so it would only be until the grand opening to find out if I was really ready.

As soon as I got there, I knew this would be no walk in the park. Everyone was running around, trying to find out which stand they were supposed to be in. The fire alarms, which were being tested when I got there, were blaring so loudly I couldn’t even hear my manager speak. Here’s how a conversation went.

Me: Excuse me, do you know where I’m supposed to---ATTENTION, THE ALARM INDICATES THE PRESENCE OF A FIRE IN THE BUILDING. PLEASE EXIT THE BUILDING.

Manager: What?

Me: I just want to know---*SIREN* DO NOT RE-ENTER THE BUILDING UNTIL YOU ARE DIRECTED BY THE PROPER AUTHORITIES!

Manager: I can’t hear you, mija! Speak louder! *alarm keeps blaring*

Me: Where am I supposed to go?!

*alarm is finally silenced*

Manager: Are you a concession runner?

Me: Yes.

Manager: Oh, you belong here.

After all the confusion was over, it was time to get to work. I was in charge of preparing nachos and dispensing chili and cheese for hot dogs and fries. Sounds easy, right? Not when someone orders 10 hot dogs, or when you suddenly have to replace the condiments and you haven’t been taught how. Though it’s a pretty simple process, it gets pretty hectic under a time limit. Lucky for me, I was able to pick up on it quickly so we could keep things moving. Also, I learned some tricks. I prepared several nacho trays in advance, so all I had to do was add the cheese on the side, and developed a little technique for putting chili on hot dogs.

So, for just over six hours, I was put on “chili and cheese duty” (as I like to call it). From five o’clock to around eleven thirty, we served a steady stream of customers. At one point there was a line from the stand all the way to the wall! The crowd dwindled down drastically after the game was over, much to our relief.

After that, it was time to clean up. Though my feet were aching, my hair was frizzy, and I desperately wanted to sleep, it was relaxing. While cleaning the counters and mopping, I finally got the chance to converse with my new coworkers. Two of them actually go to Nixon! The others were either from United High School, or were already out of high school. One of them, Juan, was an Iraq veteran. Since my brother is one as well, we talked about the army and his experiences overseas.

Finally, just around midnight, as we took out the trash, we were allowed to go home. I went with Juan to Jessica, one of the concession managers, to ask about our schedule. Since we don’t have a time clock yet, we have to tell them directly so they can keep track of our hours. We got to meet the Lemurs’ owner’s wife, Gretchen, who congratulated us and chatted with us for a bit.

At last, at exactly twelve in the morning, I got to go home.  As I lay in bed, my heels still sore, I smiled at the fact that I made it through my first day without major catastrophe and met some really great people. Then it hit me at that moment: it was only my first day. I have three more months of this, and as nervous as I still am, I’m just as excited.

For anyone who’s out looking for a job, I’d definitely recommend working at the stadium. Though it’s hectic, it’s worth it to know that you’re doing this for your city and yourself. That’s a reward in itself.

(Though I might have to go to Kohl’s to buy some sensible shoes. That might help with the swollen heels.)