Have you ever gotten food and not had enough time to eat it?

You know this scenario if you have ever gone out to get lunch and brought your food back to Paint Branch. The issue of not having enough time to go out, pick up lunch, return and eat, and then get to class on time is one that any junior or senior knows too well. Paint Branch has seven periods in the school day, and all of these periods are 45 minutes long with lunch being 45 minutes long. 45 minutes is not enough time for students to leave the school, get lunch, and then return with enough time left to comfortably eat.

The truth is, I am sick and tired of having to rush to get my food and get back to school in a timely manner, because it is not healthy or relaxing, which is what lunch is supposed to be. I am sure many juniors and seniors have the same opinion as well, because it is clear from speaking to many of my peers that students do not have enough time to take advantage of the school’s policy of allowing juniors and seniors to go out for lunch.

This issue first came to my attention last year, when I was invited to go to Five Guys at lunch with a couple of friends. On that day, we all met up after the bell for lunch rang, and drove to Five Guys on Tech Road. When we got there, we ordered our food, and got out and left as soon as possible. Once we got back to school, we noticed that everyone was going inside the building. Everyone was going to class. We had to rush into the school, and I barely made it into my 5th period class before the bell rang. I had 45 minutes to make it happen, and still I barely made it into my classroom. I had yet to take even one bite out of my burger.

With only 45 minutes to get and eat food, students are understandably rushed to eat. It doesn’t take a genius to know that stuffing your face with food is not healthy. According to Eric Westervelt’s article from NPR.org, “The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that students get at least 20 minutes to eat their lunch.” Westervelt’s point is important when one takes into consideration how long it takes to leave campus and return with food. If students need at least 20 minutes to eat lunch then that leaves only 25 minutes to go out, order and wait for lunch, and then walk or drive back to school. The truth is, this is almost impossible.

Opponents of extending lunch period will argue that if students just go out early to get food then they wouldn’t have to worry about coming late to class. The closest place that a PB student can go out and get lunch from is either 7-Eleven or Tropicana. It will take them about 10 minutes to reach 7-Eleven or Tropicana, which leaves them 35 minutes. In either place, students need to stay for about five minutes to find something to eat and to leave the store. Walking back to school will take 10 minutes, which means that the student now has 20 minutes.The student can either eat their food in the cafeteria or go to a classroom to eat. If things all work out, the student will have 14 minutes to eat lunch, which is six minutes less than what is recommended by the The American Academy of Pediatrics.

The solution to this problem is to make lunch one hour long, which would, of course, make the school dismissal time end later. Of course the prospect of a longer school day would be annoying to most students, but at the same time most students would be relieved and happy with the prospect of a longer lunchtime. More will have time to eat, talk to friends, and not have to worry about coming to class late.