There has been speculation about the changes in Vandegrift’s lunch schedules. The amount of congestion in the cafeteria this year has become a hot topic of conversation. Lunch is where Vandegrift’s growing student body is most evident.
Vandegrift went from having three lunches last year, to only two lunches this year. This year Vandegrift cut out the third lunch, in order to stay consistent with the rest of the high schools in Leander ISD.
“Our number one priority is to stay consistent with the other high schools in LISD and help stay focused on the academic day. That’s why we’re here,” Assistant Principal Mike Haase said.
Downsizing from three lunches to two naturally leads to congestion in lunch lines, fewer places to sit, and less time for everyone to get settled. Some students are frustrated with the new found traffic in the cafeteria, whereas others like having two lunches because of the increased probability of having more friends with the same lunch.
“Last year there was less traffic in the lines. It was actually breathable, and it was easier to get a seat,” sophomore Bailey Huffman said.
This year, however, both of the lunches are full to the brim with students. This causes a large amount of congestion in the lunch lines and fewer seats available.
“I don’t even eat in the cafeteria this year,” sophomore Jill Fry said. “By the time I get my food, I only have about ten minutes to eat, let alone go to the library or study.”
Students no longer time to get their lunch and head to the library, or to ask a teacher a questions. However, despite the congestion and time crunch, some students admittedly like having one less lunch.
“I like having two lunches because you have a better chance of being in a lunch with all of your friends,” junior Jasmine Sundar said.
Having one less lunch does increase the probability of having more friends in your lunch, and for some students, that’s really all that’s necessary.
One student suggested that a self-serve lunch line might speed up the process.
“A self-serve lunch line could save some time because asking what you want takes longer as opposed to doing it on your own which would be faster,” senior Trey Kind said.
