Lunch is supposed to be a break. A time for students to relax between classes and have fun. For most of us, though, lunch seems more like a race than a pause. Long lunch lines, crowded cafeteria hallways—just forget about eating altogether. Does every class really need that full period of forty or more minutes, while lunch barely lasts twenty minutes? Studies and scientific evidence clearly show the drawbacks of having a shortened lunch period, yet Edison High refuses to acknowledge this problem.
Students shouldn’t have to choose between eating and relaxing. Lunch lines can take up valuable time that students can’t spare, and along with the extremely crowded hallways on the way to the cafeteria, students are left with just a few minutes to eat lunch, resulting in their lunch being constantly unfinished. Consistently not eating enough can cause in the least focus problems for teenagers, but also there is the potential for nutritional problems for students. According to the CDC, studies have shown that students with longer lunch times report increased food and nutrient intake—a necessity for today’s busy teen. Additionally, less food is wasted overall, since students can complete their meals. It may not seem like much for one student, but when hundreds of kids throw out their lunches, hundreds of pounds of food are wasted.
Even if students bring food from home, eliminating the lunch line dilemma, lunch isn’t just a time to eat. You sit next to your friends for a reason: to socialize and get your mind off of studies or home. With the current district schedule, this mental reset is almost nonexistent. According to PubMed, longer lunch periods have a confirmed connection to increased social and emotional well-being, as well as overall student happiness.
Along with these benefits, longer lunch times are associated with improved academic performance through increased focus and better behavior in class. Personally, when I can eat my full lunch, I’m more focused on my afternoon classes rather than my appetite, being able to understand my teacher. When applied to a large body of students, more material is learned overall.
“Longer lunch times are needed for students, especially because they have no other time to really rest and relax throughout the school day,” said Tanush Kandpal ‘27. “The current time given for lunch is barely enough for students to even get lunch, much less eat it.”
Students throughout the school hold the same belief: Lunch is too rushed, too stressful, and extending the time will benefit students in many ways. Students will feel more attentive, energized, and ready to learn after receiving a real and well-deserved break and meal.
“I see a lot of kids in my classes eating after lunch; they often say they have no time to eat during lunch,” said Om Srinivasan ‘29. “Also, when I’m able to fully eat lunch, I feel a lot more refreshed and ready for the rest of the day.”
Adjusting our current schedule may not be an impossible task. Each period’s length could be shortened ever so slightly without sacrificing learning. In return, the student body gains its much-needed break, feeling less overwhelmed and stressed and, as a result, more ready to take on the rest of the day and, in turn, the modern world at large.
