Freshman and sophomores at Arvada West are not allowed off campus for lunch due to rules made by the administration. Some kids find this policy fair but others do not.

Ryan Shaffer, a freshman at Arvada West says “The policy is unnecessary, we should be able to go off campus for lunch.” Shaffer adds, “I would change the policy so that freshman and sophomores can leave during lunch. Next year I will be getting my license and I think that I should be able to use it.”

If the policy changed, what would be a possible negative impact?

“Well if we were late to class because we went off campus then that would negatively impact us, but I think that when that happens kids should just get off campus lunch taken away,” says Shaffer.

This could be enforced by having teachers tell security guards what kids should not be able to go off campus due to behavioral issues.

Ian Fiolkoski, a sophomore at Arvada West says, “It’s pretty stupid, I think we can prove ourselves that we are responsible enough to go off campus and take care of ourselves.”

“Teenagers need the opportunity to work some things out for themselves. If there is no immediate danger, life can be an effective teacher too. This approach also has the benefit of giving you more time to manage and enjoy your own life. It gives your child the chance to show you how responsible she can be too.” Responsibility and teenagers says. The brain grows up until people are around 20 years old. Independence can be a help when it come to teenagers growing up. They learn decision making and off campus lunch would possibly be beneficial to that.

According to Foods in schools “20 percent of students eat breakfast, 40 percent have a snack, and 90 percent eat lunch at school.”  

“I do not think school lunches should be gone,” says Shaffer. “Kids do rely on school lunch but I think that we should have an option between school lunches, packed lunches and going off campus for lunch.” 

The kids that do eat school lunch at Arvada West should be able to have that in case they cannot afford lunch or if they just do not want to go off campus.

“The rule was probably applied because the younger classmen shoplifted or just proved themselves irresponsible,” Fiolkoski says. “I would change the rule so that we can go off campus and get different food and hang out with our friends somewhere that isn’t as crowded as the commons.”  

If a freshman or sophomore has an older sibling, then off campus lunch could create a time for them to hangout and bond with one another.

Zeph Juliano, senior at Arvada West states, “It would be cool if freshman and sophomores could go off campus from lunch, I have a younger sibling so it would be nice to be able to take him out and buy some lunch for the two of us.”

During lunch hours the commons can get messy or too loud which can reflect poorly on the underclassmen that behave themselves, most kids have to wait a long time to get through the lunch line.

Another freshman at Arvada West, Alyssa Bucaro says, “I think it is fair for the freshman to not go off campus cause we can’t even pick up our trash in the commons but I feel like the sophomores should get a bit more freedom.”

She adds, “I would change the policy for sophomores, like maybe when a sophomore is sixteen they can go off campus or something, but I feel like it’s fair for the freshman.”

Some of the sophomores and freshman think that this school policy is a restriction on freedom. Shaffer views this as unfair.

“I don’t think that though freshman and sophomores are the younger grades we should be able to go off campus. Most of us are responsible enough to go off and not get in trouble so I think the policy isn’t fair,” said Shaffer. 

“It would be nice to be able to go off campus for lunch, and maybe it’ll change in the future for the lower classmen.” Fiolkoski says.