WCHS introduced a closed-lunch policy, forcing students to stay in the cafeteria for lunch and changing their schedules. School administrators began enforcing the decision starting on the first day of school this year. It affects student options and their freedom.

Senior David Dixon dislikes the closed lunch policy. Dixon said he didn’t fully understand why the school was establishing the policy and says it’s unfair. “The new schedule doesn’t really bother me, but I think they need to change the policy back to what it was before because of how unfair it is,” said Dixon. “It’s really unfair how the actions of a few students doing stuff off campus get the whole student body stuck in the cafeteria for lunch,” he added. 

Dixon’s friend got a driver’s license over the summer and was planning to start going out for lunch this school year, but those plans came to a complete stop when the policy was established. 

School administrators cited safety concerns and reckless student behavior (speeding and smoking on or near campus) as the reason for implementing a closed-lunch policy this year. 

Freshman Caitlin Smith said  the middle school lunches were better. “Lunch time at the middle school was 15 minutes longer and more enjoyable,” Smith said. She isn’t talking about the recess you had after lunch, which high school students shouldn’t have anyway, but the fact that students could actually leave the lunch room during lunch time. “During lunch time at the high school, I’m not even allowed to walk out of the cafeteria, you’d think as you got older, they would give you more options and freedom,” she said.