Lunch is many students’ favorite part of school. It’s a time where students can meet up with their homies and play Pokémon cards or Magic the Gathering, or order food at Cali Burger or Lee’s. Whether you’re eating, catching up on homework, or chatting with friends, lunch is a vital part of everyone’s day.

I surveyed people from around West to gather information on students’ favorite school lunches. Orange chicken and pizza are the most popular, with one in five students citing them as a favorite meal. I would have to agree; the orange chicken is my personal favorite. I also asked students what they would like to see added to school lunches. Most of them don’t think the chefs need to add anything, but some students have ideas. They suggested expanding West’s variety of noodles and fries, and one student even stated that they “would love to see [West] serve carne asada fries.”

I also asked students what their favorite lunch period was. At least 70% of the people who answered this question preferred first lunch. I think that this is because of the timings of West’s lunches. First lunch takes place in the middle of the day, while second lunch is a period later. Although we can’t change lunch times, for future planning, administration may be able to find a way around this. However, it might be difficult. West has a lot of students to feed, and fitting everyone into a single lunch period would be challenging.

One of the things that makes West’s lunches so great is our kitchen staff. Angle, Bonnie, Jennifer, Maria, Salma, Silvia, Linda, Ali, and Chantell help prepare and serve lunches each day. They are the people who make lunch possible. So, the next time you’re getting your orange chicken or pizza, be sure to tell them thank you.