The 2016-2017 school year has
officially begun and with it comes many
new things such as new students, new
faces, a new schedule, and even a new
lunch system. Back in the 2015-2016
school year all four lunch lines served the
same things creating a non-bias system in
which kids could obtain their food. This
old system made each line about equal
in length and allowed people to acquire
their food in a reasonable time. A con
with this old system was that there wasn’t
many options in which you could choose.
For example on any given day there could
be tacos, however if they were serving tacos
you would be unable to get chicken
tenders on that same day. This would
sometimes create uproar as some people
did not enjoy certain types of food
The fix to this problems
was to make 3 different lunch lines that
served different foods. The first option for
students is the Mexican Zone. The Mexican
line serves food such as tacos, nachos,
and chicken enchiladas. Some sides
are corn and brown rice with the choice
of some fruits and veggies. Then there is
the American grill lunch line which actually
occupies two lunch lines here at FC
probably due to its popularity. A typical
meal from the American grill consists
of a burger and some type of fries with a
choice of a vegetable and some fruits. Last
but certainly not least is the Italian line.
In the Italian line you can expect to see a
pasta or maybe a meatball sub. Some side                                                                                                                   options are garlic bread and as always assorted
fruits and veggies. Although these lines might
be different there are some constants such as the
choice of drinks and the extras such as cookies,
Gatorades, and pretzels. On paper this system
seems like it would be a huge hit, however the
negatives may outweigh the positives.
Pros and Cons of new Lines-
At first glance, these new lunch lines
seem like a great way for students and teachers
to quickly acquire the specific food they want
on that day. Well this becomes an issue when a
large amount of people want the same type of
food. For example, eye witness Sanjay Vankatesan
(10) said “The Mexican line is very popular,
and it takes a lot longer for me to get a single
taco.” This has proved to be true throughout the
first few weeks of this 2016 school year as the
lines have been huge. If you happen to be an
unlucky student that ends up in the back of a
packed lunch line, you could easily have to wait
10 to 15 minutes before being able to sit down
and enjoy your meal. There is a way however to
avoid these lunch lines. Typically both American
grills and the Mexican zone lines are usually
very long, but the Italian line is generally a lot
shorter. This can be a good thing if you are feeling
some Italian food, however if you are not in
the mood for some Italian, then you have to go
wait in an enormous line just to get some food
that you want. On the other side of the coin,
customers are more satisfied with their specific
meals that they received, because they were typically
able to get exactly what they wanted. Paul
Huddleston (11) says “the new lunch lines at                                                                                                           FC allow students to enter lunch with a new confidence
knowing that they can show up and get whatever they
want”.
Tips and Tricks!
While many students are frustrated with these
changes, not eating any lunch is just flat out not a healthy
option. Here are some ways to adapt to the changes: First
off, arrive at lunch as early as you can, so you avoid the
long lunch line. Another tip is you can bring your own
lunch to school. This means you can avoid the lines completely
and eat lunch right away. Lastly, you can try out
the shorter lines such as the Italian line or snack line because
you never truly know how something is until you’ve
tried it firsthand. While the snack line offers small items,
the food it very nutritious. A few examples of snacks you
would find include fruit, chips, parfaits and many drink
options. Picking a good combo of snacks could result in a
healthy, filling lunch. Even with its advantages and disadvantages,
the new lunch lines is here to stay. So for now,
be smart about for lunch so you can eat the most important
meal of the day.