Of all of the transitions from middle school to high school, perhaps the most daunting change of all can be lunch.  Upon entering the cafeteria, the choices are overwhelming: Where do I sit? Will I like the food? Should I play four-square outside after I’m done eating? The lunch room can be a place for of anxiety-inducing decisions.

When making the transition from middle to high school, NAI’s 2017 freshman have noticed that in the midst of the numerous differences between the two schools, is a large change how students’ lunch periods are organized. While there are immense contrasts, such as the total time students have to eat, there are also subtle ones present, like the activities outside the cafeteria. We interviewed three freshman to get their opinions on the changes.

The first topic that the freshmen named as a large difference is the social atmosphere. Since lunch is split up into multiple periods, students must find new friend groups to eat with. Compared to last year, some students have expanded their inner circles of classmates. When asked if she sits with the same group as last year, Jenny Zhu, one of the interviewees, responded with “Yes, but throughout the year, I’ve been able to meet and become friends with so many other people.”

However, some students find it difficult to keep their group consistent in numbers, since they are most likely sitting with a slightly different set of people. Réka Götz, another one of the freshman, answered that “Our table is smaller.”, when asked the same question as Zhu.