It is a question that eighth graders ask time and time again of current high school students: where can I sit? This question pierces right to the heart of many students and teens. Lunch time is notorious for being socially changing. Cliques run the school, and people are divided into groups based on their “coolness” and friend groups. This portrayal is supported by movies and mainstream media, but at OHS, we strive to be different.
The one thing that many students say repeatedly is that they don’t have anywhere to sit at lunch, or that there simply is not enough seating in the high school. After talking with Mr. Freeman, I was reminded of the importance of taking responsibility for your own daily life. If a student wants to add more seating, it would be easily dealt with. The administration wants to provide for the well being of the students, but they have to take initiative and ask for what they need. So far, few students have wanted to be part of a solution to add more seating at the school.
Popular places to sit are the round table in the commons as well as the tables in the upstairs hall. In early Fall and Spring when it is still warm, students enjoy sitting at picnic tables outside around the high school. Still, more students choose to eat lunch off campus. Even though the school-wide cafeteria is always open for high school students to sit in, eating lunch in the high school is much more common.
Many students forget how much power they have to change the school, if only they take initiative.