School lunch needs to change.

School lunch periods are currently 24 minutes, however the recommended lunch time is 30 minutes for middle and high school students, according to the School Nutrition Association.

“24 minutes is not enough time for students. Who can eat and socialize in 24 minutes?” junior Dasani Bethel said.

“We need at least 30 minutes. Lunch is one of the only social breaks in the day. Students need more time to socialize,” freshman Henry Hamilton said.

While a lengthened school lunch takes away time from class, it will allow students to focus better in school, gain better social skills and improve their overall mood.

Another problem with lunch at NC is the food options. The food that is served is repetitive and needs to be more diverse.

“Freshman year lunch was so different. We used to have drink and chip options every day. We had better choices and it tasted better,” senior Tyson Williams said.

“The sides are always bad. They need to offer less vegetables and have sides like chips, soup and bread, but like sourdough or baguette bread, not the dry rolls,” junior Joseph Reveles Chandler said.

New food options may be more unhealthy, but it would encourage more students to eat. Students eating slightly less unhealthy food is more important than students not eating lunch at all. New food also gives students a lunch to look forward to.

Additionally, the cafeteria needs to be cleaner.

“The tables always have trash and people don’t throw away their food,” sophomore Caleb Foor said.

“They need to clean the tables after every lunch period. The dirty lunchroom bothers me when I’m trying to eat,” junior Grant Spencer said.

This is not just the responsibility of the lunch faculty, as the students need to keep the tables clean for the next lunch period.

A clean cafeteria would provide an environment that benefits the students’ overall lunch. Students do not get many breaks away from the classroom, so when they do, they deserve better as a result of their hard work.