The bell rings, marking the end of fourth period, and you gather your stuff to go to lunch, see friends, and eat. You mindlessly make your way to the spot you have sat in since freshman year, but a group of underclassmen has already occupied your space. 

Underclassmen have nowhere else to go because they don’t have off-campus lunch privileges. They spread out all over the atrium, taking the seats of those who were there initially: upperclassmen. If they were granted the same lunch liberties as upperclassmen, this cutthroat culture of spot-stealing would virtually disappear.

This grand larceny—and yes, it is much grander than normal larceny—has forced my friends and me to relocate on numerous occasions during our precious (and short) lunch period. One way to combat this monstrosity is by granting equal off-campus lunch privileges where everyone has the opportunity to go off campus every STEP. Off-campus lunch for all may act as a de-stressor because it would allow students to leave the anxious environment of Wilson and clear their heads. 

I understand that if underclassmen had off-campus lunch privileges the line coming back from security would be even longer, but this should not be the one thing that people use to defend the upperclassmen-only status quo. Starting freshman year, students can have early release from school, which shows that Wilson trusts them to leave the building on their own. I know that they need parent permission, but if Wilson didn’t trust the students, then they would not offer this option at all. So, why can’t they leave for lunch and come back?

Off-campus lunch privileges are granted to those who have a high enough GPA, and that can be applied to students in all grades. To be fair, why not grant everyone lunch freedom, which in turn may free up precious space in the seemingly shrinking atrium? •