The bell rings, and students rush out of their classes, anxiously awaiting their lunch. For underclassmen and juniors, lunch normally comes on a tray or in a lunchbox. However, once a student is a senior, they earn the privilege of open lunch. Last year, juniors were unsure if they would receive the privilege of open lunch their senior year. Now that their senior year is upon them, seniors continue to enjoy having another lunch option.

“I think [the ideas that open lunch would be taken away] were mostly just rumors,” Associate Principal Nikolas Platko said.

As open lunch remains, so does the original policy: seniors only. This policy has caused controversy among younger students who feel as if they should have the right to go out to lunch also.

“I think the way it works right now is pretty good,” Platko said, “The more people you have out, the harder it is to get places.”

Junior Saba Levendusky disagrees.

“I think juniors should be able to go out too because they can drive,” Levendusky said. “Plus it makes school more fun.”

For those who can go out for open lunch, it’s about more than simply being old enough to drive. Senior Isaac Soares goes to open lunch every day, enjoying food like snacks from QuikTrip as his lunch.

“[The food from open lunch] is cheaper and better than school food,” Soares said.

Depending on where seniors go for open lunch, the food can be less expensive, but not necessarily. Popular items purchased are taquitos, soft pretzels, chips, and other snacks from QuikTrip, which all cost under $3. However, going to places such as Sonic, Winstead’s, Goodcents

and Freddy’s can cost anywhere from $5-9. Senior Ben Stophel does not consider that cost worth going out.

“It’s a waste of money to go out every single day,” Stophel said.

The popularity of open lunch comes and goes, but it remains a tradition of South today.