Lunchtime in junior high can be positive or negative experience

Hannah Fikar / Community correspondent

Living in the uncertain world of junior high presents numerous challenges. Amid the repetitive lectures and piles of homework lies another impediment. Often viewed as a relaxing break between classes, lunch has the ability to be a bitter and unsympathetic experience.

Imagine sitting in a dull classroom listening to a monotonous teacher ramble on about useless ideas when suddenly a glorious sound fills the halls: the bell. Students and teachers alike flock to the cafeteria or staff lounge to enjoy their afternoon meals. Endless lines and loud conversations are the foundation of the mayhem created during the best half-hour of any student’s day.

The relief that comes from lunch is provided by friends. Savoring a meal in the company of friends and chatting about school, gossip, or other occurrences on campus make lunch a superlative part of the day.

Without the pleasure friends provide, lunch can be a hostile experience. I have witnessed many students sitting alone at empty tables, quietly eating and sitting detached from the bustling chaos that is the entire cafeteria. Social awkwardness is a predominate yet superficial fear for students, but solitude can be a tranquil respite for others. Junior high is difficult enough without having to worry about the seating at lunch.

The lunchroom is specifically divided into groups where only certain cliques sit. The popular kids, jocks, goths, and nerds have all determined their seating areas since the first day of school. Finding a seat as a new student midway through the year can be a challenge, but students are generally kind toward fresh faces.

Another portion of lunch, perhaps the most important, is the food itself. Without food, lunch would serve no purpose other than a mid-morning intermission. Entrees are provided by the school, but many students choose to bring a sack lunch packed at home. Buying food provides a hot, nutritious meal, but lunches from home can be a better economic choice. Whatever the cuisine, lunch is still fun and an amusing experience.

Along with food and friends, another common lunch activity is studying or finishing homework. Completing work for afternoon classes or studying for an important test during the half-hour break has become just another part of the routine. Teachers have picked up on the homework trend and are collecting assignments during the morning classes. Students are now forced to wrap up any unfinished papers at home, as previously assigned.

Regardless of confusing seating, blaring lines, and the occasional raucous student, the relaxing interlude commonly known as lunch is a pleasant break in the middle of the day. Lunch serves purposes aside from allowing students to eat a meal with friends. Students are able to make connections with other students and adults apart from those made in classrooms, a skill much needed in the work world.

Dining in school may seem a bit foreign, but lunch presents the opportunity to socialize and have fun during a droning and tedious school day.