Off Campus Lunch

Off campus lunch is a privilege many juniors and seniors have come to cherish. As a junior, I have experienced the freedom of getting to leave school for lunch. For just 45 minutes, students get to escape the pressures of school and enjoy foods of their choice, rather than settle for whatever the cafeteria is serving. Some say open lunch is a needless risk; however it prepares students for life in the outside world, where they must make decisions for themselves. If at 18 a student can apply for the military thousands of miles away from home, they should be allowed the liberty of choosing what they want to eat.

Some people describe off campus lunch as unnecessary, however that could not be any farther from the truth. Most schools are not large enough to hold all of the students at one time without there being a fire code violation, to fix this problem there would need to be major renovations. Renovations would be too costly, especially now that school budgets are extremely low because of the recession. The five dollar charge per parking pass generates money for the school budget. Open lunch not only brings in money for the school, but for local businesses as well. Many restaurants do not have customers coming in at 10am, but with school lunch starting at ten they get new business. Where it would usually be a slow morning, there are students pouring in creating revenue. Taking away or not permitting off campus lunch would not only hurt the school but the local economy as well.

It is a normal thing for parents to be worried about their child, which is why some parents have complained that off campus lunch results in reckless driving and unnecessary accidents. However, students that drive carelessly during lunch will also drive carelessly at any other time. It is up to the parents to decide whether their child is ready to drive during lunch. It is not fair to collectively punish the entire student population for a few irresponsible students. Besides, an off campus pass can be taken away from individual students. Passes are privileges and motivations for students to return on time and stay out of trouble. Administrators have the authority to take away passes as punishment; the thought of losing this pass to freedom encourages many kids to behave in and out of school.   

Off campus lunch is about more than just getting to eat fast food; it is about growing up and releasing the pent up tension we all feel on a daily basis, so that we may function in a more balanced, healthy, and productive way.
 

Citations:

-Chronic, Shane. "Off-Campus Lunches: Ongoing Student Desire Seems to Eat Off Campus Is as Distant as Ever." Chsarrow.com. The Arrow, 14 Oct. 2011. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.
-Smalls, Kavontae. "Fla. Lawmakers to Discuss Off-Campus Lunches." WJHG RSS. Gray Television Inc, 8 Feb. 2012. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.
-Wilson, Jennifer. "Sides Debate On-campus, Off-campus Lunch Issue." Amarillo.com. Amarillo Globe-News, 2 Sept. 2002. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.