For the last few years, seniors ate lunch in the commons where they could sit peacefully, talk amongst each other, and enjoy an area dedicated to them. However, this year, a new and much smaller space for seniors was designated in the newly renovated cafeteria.

The High School should give back the commons to the seniors as it’s been the senior seating area for several years now.
The commons gave Seniors their own specific area to eat lunch and sit together with friends. Seniors had their own food area with a variety of school foods, the school had a significant number of tables put in the commons, and there was plenty of space that allowed seniors to maneuver around and sit with their friends. Juniors and underclassmen were also not allowed to eat in the commons and, instead, had to eat lunch in the cafeteria, so there was more of a sense of exclusivity than just getting a tiny sliver of the regular cafeteria seating.

Furthermore, Seniors had both accessibility to their classes and multiple exits to get to and from their classes as opposed to the crowded single entrance and exit cafeteria. Juniors and Underclassmen would also have more room to sit and exit the cafeteria without the seniors there.

Some may argue that Seniors having lunch in the commons is inconvenient to students coming or heading to the portables for class. However, despite the cafeteria being larger, the commons is still structured in a way that offers students more space. In addition, the commons also has multiple doorways that allow students to get to class, and because seniors were the only ones allowed to eat lunch in the commons, there weren’t as many students in there, making it easier to move around and make it to class.

The benefits of the Commons with both space and traffic are that they could be used even with the new senior seating in the cafeteria. Throughout all four years of highschool, this year’s graduating class has worked hard in their classes and have gone through a pandemic in order to enjoy the perks of being a senior. Therefore, they should be able to enjoy the simple gift of a quiet, spacious place to enjoy their lunches.