Photo by Sara Scarborough

clubs, school-related functions, jobs or having to take care of family, making it difficult to do homework or study for exams. The cafeteria is far too loud and distracting to be able to accomplish any school work in that location. 

     Refresh also gives students the opportunity to make decisions on their own and break away from the structure of the regular school day. Having to go to the cafeteria takes 25 minutes out of this school period which we use to work on school work and relieve the stress of the regular school day. 

     I’m not saying we should do away with the cafeteria entirely, as it does have some benefits. It provides a common location for students to get school lunches, and it gives you more space to interact and meet new people. However, this is not what every student is looking for, or needs during school. I still encourage students to eat lunch at some point during Refresh, I simply believe that it should be up to them where and when they choose to eat.

     While it is good that you can choose which lunch period you have, instead of forcing students to eat in the cafeteria, I believe a good alternative would be to allow students to choose whether they will go to the lunch room or attend a Refresh session instead. A classroom provides students with a quiet and comfortable environment to complete work and study, which is essential to have access to during Refresh.

     Because there is no attendance at lunch, if students are given this privilege, it would be important that we take responsibility and remain accountable. We would need to properly dispose of trash when eating in a classroom and make sure that we are attending the correct Refresh session. Students should also make sure their teachers are okay with them eating during their Refresh session.

     While I understand the purpose and benefits of the cafeteria, it is important that students are still able to choose to receive the benefits of attending Refresh during this time and get the help they need.