Ever since I was a little freshman, I could not wait for the day to be the one leaving for open lunch. Don’t get me wrong, I do love my homemade chicken and turkey sandwiches, but when you enter Montgomery Mall and are instantly hit with the aroma of all the delicious foods from McDonald’s to Sarku, your turkey sandwich is the last thing you want to eat.
To be honest though, open lunch could be one of the best ideas CHS has ever had. What could be better than leaving school with your friends, driving like maniacs and eating delicious food away from school? Nothing, right? Wrong. Although eating out with friends is one of the many amazing things that make senior year the best, it comes with some sneaky downfalls.
Not only does it completely drain out all the money you have worked for (or the money your parents worked for), over time it also makes you fat. Now I was once the type who could literally eat anything and just not care about how bad it was for my body, but ever since this year, I have been holding back. Of course, the first couple weeks of senior year I ate out everyday, but looking back, I completely regret some of those choices.
In the span of a month, I maybe spent a $100 or more on food and had numerous shirts and pants ruined thanks to friends being uncoordinated around food (hot sauce).
Not to mention, eating all that “yummy yummy chicken” and fries definitely did not do justice for my body, especially when spring break was around the corner. I know it might silly, but I seriously believed that if I did not eat out for two weeks before the Bahamas trip, my body would be in better shape, and to be honest, it somewhat helped.
Another thing, underclassmen out to lunch is not okay and just down right annoying. I know it’s awesome having your license and being able to drive wherever you want without your parents, but showing up to the mall and thinking you’re the coolest thing ever because you are off school property without permission makes you look foolish.
It is one thing going out to lunch with seniors that you are very good friends with, but going out with your group of friends to the mall just makes you look idiotic. Open lunch is our time, not yours. The death glares are given for a reason; clearly you are not welcome and should leave immediately.
You will get your chance too, juniors, and when you become seniors and see little juniors or I guess sophomores (since we all know how well you all get along), it will annoy you too, and then you will understand what I am talking about.
Going out to lunch is truly a privilege that should be treasured, besides the getting fat and losing your money part. The races back to and from lunch, the fights, the food and the freedom are all things that I will never forget and will truly miss about senior year. So, to make sure that you all enjoy this privilege just as much as I have, I have summarized a few tips to help you avoid the downfalls of open lunch, but at the same time savor the flavor (cheesy I know, but it works).
1.Try to cut down eating five times a week to at least once a week (Fridays are an exception because come on! Qdoba $3 burritos are too hard to pass up).
2. Once again, UNDERCLASSMEN stay in the cafeteria.
3. Stay away from the hot sauce. I am not kidding. Yes, it’s delicious on your food, but a pain to remove from your favorite shirt.
4.Clean up after yourself. The janitors at the mall already hate us enough for leaving our sandwiches and plates scattered everywhere, not to mention the mile long tables we set up, so the least you can do is clean up your trash.
5. Drive as carefully as you can. I know it is hard driving cautiously, especially when people are going 60 mph, trying to merge into your lane, rushing to get to school on time, and trying to love-tap your car, but still. You know the saying “It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt?” Yeah well, that could definitely apply in this situation. As fun as it is, it is still dangerous. I am still amazed that I have not witnessed a nine-car pile up yet (knock on wood).
