Are you tired of starving during school? Tired of looking for something to eat on the lunch line and coming up short? Believe it or not, you are not alone. Everyone should have the opportunity to go out and get what they want to eat. This is the standard for all high schools in Jersey City. 

This is why reward lunch should not be a thing. Since when is it a privilege to eat? 

When we returned from covid most of this year’s juniors and seniors became used to going out for lunch. Now, if you have not made the honor roll you are stuck and confined to the lunch room. 

Even though school lunch has improved, most kids do not like it for their own personal reasons. If you have the money to buy food, why wouldn’t you? 

Students should automatically have the right to go out for lunch. Taking away a student’s privileges for not meeting the grade requirements is unfair. Junior, Dy’asia Elliot, voices her opinion on reward lunch.  

“It shouldn’t be a reward for you to be able to go enjoy food or go get something to eat,” said Elliot. “Not every kid is able to bring something from home, so that’s not fair.”  Your grades should not dictate whether or not a student is able to go out for lunch. A student’s grades can be affected by low energy or a dull mood due to not being able to eat. 

Most kids don’t get the opportunity to eat breakfast either due to different circumstances, so they’re spending an entire day on an empty stomach which may cause them to become irritated or tired. 

“I felt weak,” said Elliot.  “When you don’t eat throughout the entire day, you start to lose focus,” said Elliot. “When you have some type of food in your stomach, it gives you the motivation to do your work.”

Basing lunch privileges on grades affects students negatively. As hard as they may try in a class, their grade may not always be good enough to get reward lunch.  

Sometimes students try their best and come up short. The stress and hard work led to a passing grade and not the A grade that would lead to a spot on the honor roll. 

Their lunch should not be a reflection of this failure. Everyone should have the opportunity to go out and eat what they want. No one should go through an entire school day starving because they cannot go out and get what they want.