From the start of the 2020 school year, lunch tables were spread out between the cafeteria and the athletic lobby due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This mandatory change from the state of Michigan was to keep the students 6 feet apart from each other.
As of February 17th, 2022, the school was told by the state that we can put the lunch tables back to normal.
Bringing the tables back together in the cafeteria will help the students socialize more with others after being separated due to the COVID deadlines.
Things are better for the social aspect because the students are all in one big room, but now things are overcrowded in the cafeteria.
The feeling of being cramped in a tight space with too many students can be a bit overwhelming. I sit at one of the tables with my friends and I feel claustrophobic being so close to other students.
I prefer to have my own personal space to enjoy my food, so having students too close to me when they’re eating makes me feel uncomfortable.
I’m not the only one who is feeling frustrated. Sophomore Joelle Henke shares the same sentiment. Post the condensed version of lunch due to Covid restriction removal, Henke feels uncomfortable.
“I don’t understand why we all have to sit close together and not be able to sit in the athletic lobby. I don’t want to eat super close next to someone and feel crowded,” Henke said.
Although it’s understood why the school moved all lunch tables back into the cafeteria, it became overly crowded fast. Opening the athletic lobby backup for students to eat in will cause more work for maintenance and lunch supervision staff, but the added space will cause students to feel more comfortable.
Surely the extra manpower is worth promoting student mental health.
