Reilly O’Neill, Reporter
@RONeillCourant
For many students who stay after school late, finding a satisfying snack is difficult. There’s always the option of scavenging in the vending machines for small, unsatisfying snacks, but what if you don’t have money? Well, go hungry no longer, because the NCHS cafeteria is now open for a few more hours. In an email sent recently by Principal Bill Egan in October, the cafeteria will now be serving food until three PM.
Both students and their parents wanted more options for students to buy food before heading to after school activities. “I heard from some parents wondering if there was anyway for kids to eat at the end of the day because that would be great for them,” Principal Egan said, “I asked the student body if they wanted to extend the cafeteria hours and 80% said yes, so I talked to our cafeteria workers and they were thrilled to stay open, and the amount of students benefiting from it has been great.”
Principal Egan isn’t the only one who’s happy about the longer opening hours. One such student who is thankful for the later hours is junior Claudia Guerrero. “Having access to food after school benefits me because I have a lot of activities after school. Often in the past I had access to nothing other than the things available in the vending machines,” Claudia said.
Principal Egan recognized the success by the increased number of students staying after and using the cafeteria at later times. “There’s a great deal of kids staying after school on a daily basis so it was about trying to accommodate the students who were already here and making sure they stayed nourished throughout the day,” Principal Egan said.
As well as being more convenient, having quality food available helps fuel students for their after school activities. “Rehearsals are long and to be able to have a good meal to help us withstand is good,” sophomore theatre program member, Kaitlyn Piotroski said.
As an alternative to the vending machines the cafeteria is both healthier and more reliable. “We’re here everyday after school for rehearsal and the vending machines don’t always work, or have things that are filling enough to get us through long rehearsals,” Kaitlyn said. Students agree that while vending machines are convenient, they can be undependable.
The cafeteria staying open longer also means less of a rush during the lunch wave. “Students don’t feel like they have to run out or be rushed. There are times when students need to get help from a teacher so they miss lunch,” Principal Egan said. “We want to keep kids happy and healthy and eating at any time is a good thing,” he concluded.
