Let’s Do Lunch, Off Campus
Catrina May, Writer
October 8, 2011
Filed under Editorials
At New Town High School, students are not allowed to leave school grounds during their lunch periods. That rule needs to change. Juniors and seniors should be allowed to leave school to purchase whatever they want to eat for lunch, as long as they’re back in time for class.
The unappetizing chicken patties and half cooked pizza served during lunch already tempts students to walk across the street to McDonalds; so, why not just let them go? Most teachers are concerned about students getting hurt, or question the trustworthiness of students. Well, since open lunches would apply to juniors and seniors, those issues should not happen often.
Upperclassmen are mature and responsible enough to walk across the street and get lunch. It’s not like they are driving to New York and back. Most of the students in the class of 2012 and 2013 are mature, but for those who aren’t, they just simply won’t be allowed to leave. If someone wants to act up in school or gets in trouble consistently, then they can stay with the freshman and sophomores and have lunch in the cafeteria.
Letting students leave for lunch will teach them responsibility and provide them an opportunity to learn to manage their time. Also, instead of having three lunches, there could just be two. This would lead to less confusion in the cafeteria and reduced workload for the cafeteria ladies as well as the custodians. Not having to worry about the juniors and seniors will also make completing schedules easier. If teachers and other staff are worried about students not coming back to school after lunch or worried about their safety, a contract requiring a parent’s signature should be handed out in the beginning of the year, just like
what is done for the handbook.
Students who want to leave would have to take home a contract and get it signed by their parent. Students and the principal would also have to sign the contract. If students are under a contract, then if they decide to skip school or class, the open lunch privilege would be suspended or taken away.
If New Town enforces the policy, then off campus lunch won’t be a big deal for juniors and seniors.
I think that Juniors and Seniors should be allowed to eat off campus becasue we are mature enought to walk across the street or drive somewhere to eat lunch and be back in time for our next class. And if we are not back in time for our next class then a consequence could be issued towards us. I do believe that we should be allowed to leave school during lunch because it is our time off and we should be able to go where we want.
Kayla Renea Kelly
[Reply]
I agree. The school’s terrible attempts at making the lunches healthier have just made them more disgusting. The Lunches wont be heakthier if you undercook the french fries and make every type of bread whole wheat. The pizzas tastes worse than last year and have stop the sale of chips and candy. These lame attempts at making food healthier will only cause students to rebel against the food and eventually decrease in sales.
[Reply]
I think this should be a requirement. Because personally I don’t eat lunch for the simply fact that it is disgusting and sitting in class for an hour and 30minutes makes me more antsy to eat and I won’t eat that lunch food. So, I do think the upperclassman should be able to sign a contract that we can leave for lunch and come back to class on time. Also , the two lunch thing isn’t such a bad idea because if the upperclassman eat out then the underclassmen can have lunches together and create less hassel for the lunch ladies.
[Reply]
In my opinion I think this would be a great idea. The idea of only seniors and juniors only leaving is a privilege for the freshmen to look forward to when they are actually upperclassmen. The lunch in this school, is mostly terrible. It could be un edible, and also maybe half done- Im really not sure. This may teach the underclassmen responsibility, because they would want to have the same oppurtunity when they get in 11 and 12th grade. Also, I understand the healthy meals are to better us, but they’re rather disgusting meals. The wheat bread is too tough, and sometimes hard to chew. We just definitely need a change . . . NOW !
[Reply]
For me, I like the idea of off-campus lunch, just as long as the students get back to class on class. However, it all depends on how trustworthy certain junior or seniors are, because there are some classmates in their junior or senior year that really don’t take their studies too seriously and want to get out of school. Sure, the chicken patties here are nasty, and the fries are sometimes cold and undercooked, but for me I support off-campus lunch just as long as there is a supervisor with a group of students that reminds them when lunch is over, like a teacher. That way, we wouldn’t have students get in trouble for skipping classes. However, I do like the idea of an open lunch contract, so that gets my vote as well.
[Reply]
i think it is a great idea to have off campus lunches. i feel that way because students in high school should be mature enough to
[Reply]
I feel that Juniors and Seniors shouldnt have lunch off of campus because that would lead to problems. When students receive freedom they tend to take it for granted and go overboard. It is a 50/50 chance that most students won’t return back to school. Think about it , you were once a junior and senior yourself if you were allowed to go off of campus to “get lunch”, would you even think about coming back? Students have to be able to be trusted in order for this to happen because its a huge responsibility. If students feel that it is necesasary to leave school for lunch because they dont enjoy the school lunches served here then they should pack a lunch. Sure that may seem elementary but it would save everyone trouble. Unfortunately it pains me to say this but even though we are upperclassmen, we as a whole are not mature enough to handle this.
[Reply]
I think it’s a good idea,it does have its disadvantages but i think New Town high should learn to have more faith in their students to be able to go across the street and back without making a fuss.I think it will help us to be more responsible and appreciative that we can be trusted,and New Town is willing to give to us something that has never been done before.
[Reply]
I agree that the upperclassmen of New Town should be able to leave campus to eat lunch. Catrina argues that the juniors and seniors are responsible enough to leave and come back in time for their next scheduled class. This is true and as she says the few irresponsible kids in the classes of 2013 and 2012 should not be able to go. I think that this change would be of great benefit for students and the school if they were to get sponsored by the shopping centers they could make a profit. I support this new idea and see lunch off campus as a positive contribution to all upperclassman’s daily routine.
[Reply]
I agree and disagree. I agree because the lunches here are unappetizing and the though of a nice sandwich or coffee would be nice. If this were to happen in reality, the restaurants should also be part of the contract and be notified of this change. They should also keep track of each student with our ID cards(since we don’t really use them) It is true that the school would be more responsible for the students in case they get hurt and the students would have to be more responsible for themselves. I disagree because some of the juniors and seniors have underclassmen friends and can find a way to bend the rules with the teachers/administrators they are comfortable with. Also, we have about 45 minutes for lunch. That’s plenty of time for a student who lives nearby to go home and chill and come back. Also, having McDonalds every day will be very unhealthy.
[Reply]
I agree with this argument. The only reason why I agree with this is because I dislike the school lunch, and I feel as though if you are mature and know what’s right from wrong, you should be able to leave out and get yourself a GOOD lunch that you enjoy. Students get tired of eating the same school lunch everyday, which make them wants to leave or even leave. I personally do not eat school lunch. Yes, I think the contract should be a requirment. This is giving the Juniors and Seniors a chance to experience how college will set you free and let you go on your own.
[Reply]
I’m torn in between having lunch on or off New Town’s campus. I believe that school lunch off campus would be beneficial to upperclassmen because it provides them with an opportunity to feel independent. Also, it allows them to have the freedom needed during the adolescent and maturing stage of their life. On the other hand, I also believe that it wouldn’t be too good because of the safety matters and risks that are involved. Although students are to be trusted to come back to school , suppose they don’t come back and something happens to them while they are skipping. It would be devastating to friends and family if their loved one was injured, kidnapped, or even worse , killed. No deaths or injuries would be present if the school had not allowed students to leave school grounds.
[Reply]