Tick, tock goes clocks as thirty minutes become five. The lunch line is stuffed with kids waiting for food, the bathroom is overcrowded with students tripping over themselves to try to claim the first available stall, and as the time drops, students find themselves with two options: they can either eat lunch or socialize for the few minutes they have.

Thirty minutes for lunch is unrealistic for a high school of Floyd Central’s size. With lunch being divided only into three groups, if one is not early to the line, then they risk being unable to eat on certain days. Students are expected to walk to lunch, use the restroom, get lunch, eat, and get back to class within only half an hour. This leaves no time for socializing on many days, and lunchtime becomes a battle rather than a break.
After being seated for half of the school day, many kids will inevitably choose to socialize with friends instead of eating lunch.

The article “How Does Hunger Affect Learning,” published by No Kid Hungry stated, “When children are hungry, they typically have less energy and the ability to focus. So you can imagine that feeling tired and distracted impacts a child’s social interactions and behavior. A child dealing with hunger may have a harder time forming friendships and interacting with friends, as well as maintaining self-control, or listening to instructions.”

FC’s short lunchtimes leave kids without restroom breaks and keep them from eating. It is ridiculous to expect a third of FC to be able to go through the lunch line some days and then use the restroom and socialize with their peers, all within thirty minutes.

Lunchtime should be adjusted based on many factors, such as FC changing their lunch division to only three groups. Even if it means extending the school day, students need at least forty-five minutes.

According to a survey of FC 250 students, 72% stated that they would be willing to extend the school day if that meant they could have a longer lunch period.

Changes occur frequently in high schools, just as they do in life. Lunch times need to be extended as there are too many students to expect the average kid to enjoy their break fully.