McDonalds, Taco Bell, Wendys, and Subway. These are all fast food chains that are a staple in a teenager’s diet. Should high school students be able to access these places during their school lunch time?
“It would have to be Board approved. In my past job in Crawfordsville, we had an open lunch, and a student got really hurt. We shut it down immediately after that. The traffic here is very bad, so I could not imagine open lunch ever being an option. It is not something that we can not discuss and talk about,” Principal Michael Gasaway said.
While the administrators are focused on the safety of the students, they do not shut down what the positives could be.
“We are always open to student suggestions, and I see the pluses and minuses for both sides. I think it could work well as an incentive or a fun upperclassmen perk. The flipside of that is that we want to make sure everyone is safe and we are surrounded with heavy car traffic. Another concern would be if students could get to a restaurant and back within their 30 minute period. I would love to hear a student presentation on their stance on open lunches,” Assistant Principal Robyn Witty said.
PEER and C9 students have the opportunity to eat out for lunch, but nobody else does. Is this fair to other students?
“C9 students are transitioning from here to another location. They are already making that trip, so no one can really stop them from making a pit stop if they desire. The same goes for PEER students as they interact with other kids in the community. They are expected to travel from point A to point B,” Assistant Principal Craig Bruns said.
Senior Lydia Crossman is a PEER member and enjoys her opportunity to have an open lunch.
“I really enjoy my open lunches because the cafeteria can get so packed. It is nice to be able to eat whenever and wherever I want. It is very convenient for me,” Crossman said.
Senior Seth McCauley participates in the C9 programs, and he enjoys his open lunches a little differently.
“I usually stay for lunch to be with friends, but on Wednesdays, I go home before and I really enjoy my time at home. I think that it would be good that everyone would get a little break from school if needed to relax and recharge their social battery,” McCauley said.
