Lunch is the highlight of the school day for most, when students are able to spend time with their friends without being in a rush to their next class. With that in mind, it’s only reasonable that students should be able to spend time with friends wherever they want, on or off campus. Leaving campus at lunch time would allow students to have access to a variety of food options, have a more enjoyable time with their friends, and nurture students’ independence and responsibility.
Being granted the freedom to leave campus for lunch would open up better options for food and would also create more opportunities for students. Sophomore Chloe King said, “I am not the biggest fan of the school’s lunch most days because I’m a picky eater, but being able to leave campus for lunch would be very nice so that I could pick what I want to eat everyday.” Being able to leave school for lunch would open up a variety of options for many people. “I live close enough to school to be able to go home, make a fresh lunch, eat the lunch, then come back to school in time for fourth period,” said King. Because many students live close to campus, some would rather take the time to head home rather than make lunch in the morning. It is important to have a good filling lunch so that one can be fueled for the rest of the day, and being able to leave campus would enable students to do so.
Having the option for an off-campus lunch would allow students to spend time with their friends. Years ago, students were allowed to leave campus for lunch. Principal Mike Paredes shared some of the memories that he got to experience when he was able to leave campus for lunch in high school. “Some of the most memorable experiences are positive. Hanging out in the parking lot of the taco shop or burger spot down the street, eating lunch in the back of a friend’s pickup with our teammates was fun,” said Paredes. Being able to leave campus for lunch would be very enjoyable and add to the high school experience. Sophomore Julliana Shelton said, “Being able to leave school for lunch would be nice, as it would add a nice little break during the day and would allow for some quality time with friends.” Spending time with friends is important because school can be stressful and hanging out with friends is an easy way to relieve stress.
Gaining independence and responsibility are key lessons students need to learn in high school. Letting students leave during lunch would help students to reach both of these goals. If students did decide to leave campus for lunch, they would have to ensure their return on time for their next class, facilitating responsibility and accountability. According to a website on responsibility, being given responsibilities can teach teens to take care of themselves (canr.msu.edu). Leaving school for lunch would also develop independence because there is not a teacher or staff member to tell students what to do, to tell them what time to get back to school, or to look out for students like how they do at lunch in school. Students would have to be responsible for themselves.
However, being able to leave campus for lunch could stress some students out rather than making them feel free. Paredes said, “Honestly, leaving campus felt stressful, constantly checking our watches. Quality time with friends shifted to after school or practice, cheering on our peers at their games or on the weekend kind of like it is now. A carne asada burrito or a double-double tastes a lot better when you have time to really enjoy it.” Students constantly had to be mindful of the time when leaving campus. Since lunch is only 30 minutes long, having to rush through their lunch could cause stress for students while simply staying on campus would mean not having to worry about it.
Despite causing some stress for some students, being able to leave campus for lunch would have more positive effects than negative. Leaving campus would widen the food options that students could choose from, create more social time when students would get to spend time with their friends, and help students work on independence and responsibility. High school is a time to create memories with friends and off campus lunch would greatly contribute to that.