The change in schedule due to the Coronavirus pandemic meant a change in lunch waves. The extended lunch periods are beneficial for seniors and those who can drive because they have an ample amount of time to leave campus. 

The implementation of extended periods and lunch passing time was implemented to follow COVID guidelines. More specifically, the extended passing time of eight minutes gives students enough time to leave during their lunch wave. With senior parking spots being accessible and close to the cafeteria, many students flee the cafeteria scene to go out for lunch. While they have the opportunity to do so, the school policy is that students are not allowed to leave for lunch. This is in part due to safety reasons, and for the administration to keep track of students. 

“The only part about switching from all online to back in person learning that made me nervous was the cafeteria.” Maya Wofsy ’21 said. “The amount of people who sit without masks made me uneasy so I usually grab a friend and eat lunch in my car right outside the cafeteria. I use my extra passing time to grab my food and get out without rushing. It really eases my anxiety about being around so many unmasked people.” 

Similarly, students who participate in school sports also avoid eating in the cafeteria, as it is an easy place to get exposed with little to no contact tracing. Seniors aren’t willing to risk the chance of contracting COVID, so being able to leave school for lunch has been convenient.

“This is the first season in the past year where we can actually play normally again,” Staples girls’ lacrosse captain Charlotte Barnes ’21 said. “I try to avoid the exposure in the cafeteria so I use my time to get a snack or eat lunch after school.”

The extended passing time was made because of the extra time it takes to navigate through the one-way hallways. This mandate allows for four minutes of passing time at the start of the lunch wave and eight minutes at the end. This is an increase from the typical five minutes given to students in previous years. 

“During my free lunch I like to go out and get food,” Tucker Lawrence ’21 said. “The extra time during lunch periods is super nice. I feel like I can get more done.”