As you are all aware, the bell and lunch schedules have undergone a significant change this year. Many CHS teachers are cheering the change from three lunch periods each day to two, eliminating the dreaded split 3rd and 4th class period and increasing the passing period time from seven minutes to eight.
While the idea of having only two lunches may seem efficient, it has led to a wave of discontent among the student body. According to an informal poll on the Wolf Howl’s social media, the negative responses were almost unanimous when asked how students felt about having two lunches instead of three. Many students complained about the exceptionally long lunch lines and crowds in the cafeteria. Some students even said after waiting in line for lunch, they only had 8 minutes to eat before class. The crowds are so bad that many students need help finding places to sit and enjoy their lunch with the bit of time they have. Another problem caused by the crowds is how hot it gets in the cafeteria. Many students choose to eat in the cafeteria to escape the heat, but now, it is just cramped and unpleasantly warm.
Administrators have provided an alternative lunch option for students via the North Campus cafeteria and pop-up cafe, but this is highly inconvenient for many students as the North Campus is quite far away, especially if all of your classes are on the main campus. Many students want to avoid having to walk in the heat for food they should be able to get at the main campus cafeteria.
To avoid long cafeteria lines, some have resorted to going off campus. This can cause a financial burden for some and encourage irresponsible spending habits. Ironically, this still doesn’t seem to save most students any time. Devin Manasan, a senior at Chandler High, estimates that it takes about 25 minutes to walk to a restaurant, order your food, and return to campus, leaving you only five minutes to eat your lunch. He says, “This isn’t enough time,” and he would be 100% correct. So, going off campus isn’t a helpful solution either.
One supposed benefit of switching to two lunches for students was receiving a longer passing period between classes, but many students say that it was unnecessary and honestly unhelpful. Because of this extra minute, the informal two-minute grace period that was previously given to students with classes on the North Campus is now gone. Almost all of the students I heard from prefer the old schedule, as the negatives of this new schedule outweigh the few positives.
If students are having to eat their lunches in 5-8 minutes, regardless of whether they leave campus or stay on, we need to come up with a solution suitable for everyone because this new schedule isn’t working for our students. Although this new schedule may be popular with teachers and staff, the students who need this time to eat and rest amidst a busy school day aren’t getting the lunchtime they need.
