Why Cafeteria Food Should Travel – Molly Liter
One of the most impactful changes of this new 2025/2026 school year is happening right in the cafeteria. For years, we’ve relied on the classics in the lunchroom: fresh salads, mouthwatering wraps, and the perfectly crisp fries. But this year the made-to-order classics have been swapped out for prepackaged foods, but this made room for some exciting new options.
First of all, the lunch lines have been drastically cut down. The past couple years it didn’t matter if you were first, second, or third lunch, the urgency to get to the lunchroom was chaos. The lines would sometimes take the whole lunch period. I can’t even remember the times I had to run to lunch just to have 10 minutes to eat a salad. The only time I was lucky enough to enjoy my food was if I secured the 4th or 5th spot in line.
The most important thing they added this year was the exploration of culture. In the last couple of years, we’ve had the same old traditional American lunchroom foods, but now we are adding a new eye to it. Food is one of the easiest (and tastiest) ways to experience other cultures. It helps us as students to broaden our worldview without leaving school. We help students of different ethnicities feel seen and valued with their culture being celebrated in the lunchroom.
Mr. Jake Huhn said, “I think it’s really awesome that our cafeteria has listened to students—and teachers—and come back from the summer with new options. The other day, I had chicken tikka masala with naan and it was actually delicious. I think they had a palak paneer too? I was so excited to see Indian food in the cafeteria, and I hope we get a lot more multicultural food moving forward. It’s good for you, and it tastes amazing!”
The classic lunchroom had become too predictable. It was the same choice week after week. There was no creativity or variety. It was the same palette of food every week. There was no real opportunity to explore new flavors, and the lack of cultural diversity in the menu was obvious.The new improvements are new, exciting, and delicious. This gives every student something to look forward to when lunch comes around.
Overall, these changes in the cafeteria aren’t just about shorter lines or new menu items—they’re about creating a better experience for everyone. We now have time to enjoy food, and the addition of cultural pieces is bringing diversity to the lunchroom. The cafeteria isn’t just a place to eat; it’s a place where students can explore different parts of the world. If this is the direction we’re moving in, then the future of our lunchroom—and our school—looks brighter and tastier than ever.
New Does Not Always Mean Better – Olivia Thompson
This year as many have noticed, the cafeteria has swapped many of the lunch items for new options. But new does not always mean better. Previously, The cafeterias had more customizable options, giving the students more choices of what they were going to eat rather than pre-made copy and paste foods. Almost everyone I know loved the freedom of getting to choose every detail of their lunch, now they don’t have that freedom.
Though many would say that the ability to choose made the lines way too long and too slow moving, there were other options allowing for a faster more enjoyable experience. Many of the people that waited in the lines did because of how good the old food was, but now that we have swapped out the salad and wrap line for a premade sandwich and wrap station you see almost nobody in the line every lunch. You can also see the pre packaged salads sitting in the cooler area untouched after lunch.
Looking past the deli line, they also took away the beloved nacho station. This line was quick and enjoyed by everyone. Now they switch out the food at that station weekly so you never know what’s going to be there. Many say they don’t like the spontaneity of this and miss the comfort of knowing what they are walking into. I find myself craving the nachos at least once a week but what do I walk into the lunch room to see, no nachos! Some argue that there is a need to have different cultures in the lunch room, but we already had a oriental cuisine station in past years.
Finally, the pasta station, whether it was Mac and cheese, spaghetti, or Alfredo, was always easy and reliable, there was also almost no line. It has now been replaced with none other than more pizza as if we didn’t already have enough. Ironically, I’ve noticed fewer students eating pizza this year than in previous years.
Overall, replacing freedom and quality with speed and repetition has not improved our lunch experience. Junior Grace Zuerner summed it up well: “I believe that the lack of choices in the lunch room has given the lunch room a less free feel. I feel like I am eating the same bland food everyday as the food that I actually enjoyed has been taken away. I miss the old food not only for the freedom but for the quality.” The cafeteria may have shorter lines, but it has lost what mattered most to students: choice, comfort, and meals they actually enjoy.
