Lake Stevens High School should allow students to sit quietly in the West Hall during lunch. The cafeteria and designated lunch spaces can be overwhelming, and by allowing secluded seating options, students can relax and have time to work on assignments for other classes.
Quiet lunch spaces can help students who struggle with getting schoolwork finished. Working in a loud, distracting classroom can make it nearly impossible to focus on work and fully retain information.
“School can be overwhelming, and like by sitting in a quiet place, it can help give us a place to go to do schoolwork,” senior Alyssa Semingson said.
All people learn differently and in different conditions, so providing students who prefer quiet spaces with this privilege is beneficial for a student’s overall learning.
“A lot of people don’t necessarily have like places to go during lunch, like the people who don’t have big groups of friends and stuff, and I think we need to offer places for those students to go,” Semingson said.
Not everyone prefers being in large social groups, others wouldn’t necessarily need to worry about “fitting in” ; instead, students can naturally be themselves. Quiet spaces can foster genuine connections for those who need them.
In contrast, others believe that indoor lunch seating will affect classes that are teaching.
“No, because of the classes that are going on and that some teachers like to have their doors open for airflow,“ sophomore Lily Dodge said.
Although this may be true, students who are disruptive and loud would simply be kicked out or penalized, while students who remain respectful and quiet would be allowed to stay.
Preferred Quiet Spaces for Students
The West Hall couches
The West Hall is an open spot with windows. It is exceptionally quiet, and the couches are very comfortable for lunch. In West Hall, students could finish up work and listen to music. The majority of kids who sit there remain fairly quiet but are unfortunately forced out by staff.
The NE hall collaboration space is a bit smaller, but it is dark and quiet. The couches are very comfortable; generally, any spot with comfortable seating is preferable but is closed off for students.
Outdoor and Indoor seating.
Anywhere outdoors, specifically patches of grass away from the crowds.
“I would like to be able to sit in the grass next to the Northwest building without being kicked out,” senior Logan Merkel said.
Students who remain quiet and respectful should be able to remain. Additionally, during winter, students will need inside seating, especially when it starts to snow and temperatures drop to freezing; indoor seating will be necessary for keeping students out of the cold.
“There aren’t a lot of places to eat lunch when it rains and during winter when it’s cold and windy,” junior Charle Price said.
As the cold of December sets in, students will undoubtedly need the warmth and comfort of indoor seating during lunch and should be able to utilize those areas if they are quiet.
