School lunches are something that are stereotypically dreaded. Stories are told of cold food being slopped onto plates and of mystery entrees whose ingredients are yet to be determined. However, many students are finding the new cafeteria changes to be quite the contrary.

New entrees such as pasta that is prepared before your eyes and Paninis that you get to press yourself have made appearances in the lunchroom, but along with that, long winding lines to try the new food have appeared as well. Not only are these lines inconvenient for students who must buy lunch every day, but they are deferring students who bring lunch from also trying the newer and healthier options. In addition to the long lines, due to the many students wanting to try the foods, the cafeteria usually runs out in the first ten minutes of lunch, forcing students to change lines with empty plates.

“The food is a lot better than last year especially because of the Panini thing and the Friday pasta day,” junior Laurel Albrecht said, as she took a bite of her recently purchased lunch. “The lines are long sometimes though,” she continued. Albrecht shares the opinion of many other students for the lines can remain for up to twenty minutes of the thirty minute lunch period forcing kids to either take the rest of their lunch to class, which is prohibited by some teachers, or throw their lunch and their money away.

Junior Anna Gluch is intrigued by the new lunch options, but she has yet to try them. “My mom always wants me to get lunch food because I think she’s sick of making me lunches, but the lines are way too long. Ain’t nobody got time for that!” Gluch said.

Healthier and more appealing lunch options are always good, but is it really worth the long lines, the lack of eating time, and shortages of the food students actually want to eat? The idea is there, but the execution is not. Whether it is creating separate stations for foods, increasing cafeteria staff or even ordering surplus food to avoid running out, something needs to be done to make the lunchroom not only efficient but enjoyable for students and staff alike.