Off campus lunch is a privilege eyed and envied by underclassmen and enjoyed by the upper classmen. Sophomores and juniors with their license are permitted to go off campus to eat if they have a free period before lunch, allowing adequate time for their trip. However, seniors unlock the ultimate upper level to this privilege, the ability to leave school during any free time, including office hours, club time, and more. Students enjoy the opportunity to spend more time with friends outside of the school scene and take a much needed break.
“I go off campus to eat lunch, probably about twice a week,” senior Felipe Selle said.
Popular lunch spots include Chick-fil-A, Wendy’s, Starbucks, and many more. Students typically have a personal tie or unique preference for certain restaurants in the area and have even developed a “go-to” place.
“I go to Chick-fil-A almost every time because I have a lot of Chick-fil-A points and I need to use them all,” Selle said.
For most, there is a narrow window of time to dash off-campus and back, so convenience, proximity, and traffic patterns are all taken into account to make sure they get back in time for class.
“If it’s a long ways away, then you’re not going to have time to go there, and traffic’s going to get in the way during lunch time,” junior Sara Jo Pierce said.
While many students go for fast food drive thrus, others look forward to a slower change of pace and healthier options, which are found in more traditional restaurants.
“I really like to go to Doug’s Deli, the one downtown. I just really like the fresh food, and there’s a lot of different options, and a lot of them are like typical lunch options, like wraps and sandwiches and stuff,” senior Gigi Frognet said. “I think I prefer the traditional restaurants, because I like to sit and eat and talk with my friends and stuff,”
However, there is an advantage to choosing a quick lunch over a relaxing one. An informal, solo lunch prompts the opportunity to be productive and catch up on schoolwork.
“I usually take it to carry out and I’ll eat my car so I can listen to my music and get some homework done,” senior Heidi Holder said.