There are two lunch periods at school because there are too many students to feed in just 45 minutes. My lunch is at 11 am, just a couple of hours after school starts, which means I have to wait almost five hours until I have a chance to get a snack at home and then go to practice immediately afterwards. Lunch is supposed to be a time to get a break from classes, eat and spend time with friends for a bit; the social aspect of school.

I think those 45 minutes are too short. I think we should extend it to an hour or more. One minute I am in the line for lunch, sitting down to eat, and all the sudden the bell rings to go back to class. 45 minutes sounds long but it feels very short. 

The thing about lunch is I like taking my time when I eat and to socialize.I like breaks from work as well. I am sure most people agree with me that lunch can feel very short.

The reason I think it’s short is when I have to get school lunch where the lines are long, like really long. I spend 20 minutes in the line waiting just to get the food and when I get my food there is about 25 minutes left. It takes me about 20 minutes to eat and when I am done I get to socialize for five minutes.

Even when I do pack up my lunch I take about 10 to five minutes trying to find where my friends are sitting because there are too few spots to sit at lunch. So when I find my friends and a spot for me to eat, I have 30 minutes to eat and talk to them. 

The school food isn’t that great either; it’s not worth standing in a line for 20 minutes. I am also an athlete, so I usually eat more than others. The serving sizes are so small. Research from the National Library of Medicine says that if an athlete wants to gain muscle they need to consume more protein.

Others may think lunch is long enough and they have plenty of time to eat and talk. I understand but for me it’s the opposite. I am also sure that they would like a few extra minutes to hang out with their friends as well. 

A solution is shortening the first period and eighth period by 15 minutes. For me this works best on A-days. I have two electives: first and eighth. Look, electives are fun but we can shorten them. It’s an elective, not a required class. We can add those extra 30 minutes to lunch so that everyone will have time.

Lunch should be longer and more enjoyable. The longer I get a break from my classes the happier I am. Also it wouldn’t hurt having fun with my friends a little longer as well.