By J1 Reporter Madeline Iske

5…4…3…2…1… The bell rings—a stampede rushes upon the hallways. ID cards are brandished, staircases are jammed and elbows are exercised. Girls hustle swiftly down to the lunchroom as teachers watch, hoping not to get caught in the swarm. This is the norm for lunch goers on any given day—whether first or second lunch. But which is better?

Lunch is split between first and second periods, as all students have grown accustomed to. Some like first lunch better because they get to eat earlier. Others contest that second lunch is better because there is only one class left when finished. While everyone can agree that there are both advantages and disadvantages to each lunch time, there seems to be one that most agree is better. 

After taking a survey meant to determine the answer to this long debated question, it was found that 16 out of 27 people prefer second lunch. When asked about why she preferred that lunch, senior Rocelie Anne Sagaysay said, “I prefer second lunch because you get to look forward to one less block left. And then you go home.” 

However, first lunch is not without its perks. “I would rather have a longer afternoon than be hungry in class,” junior Lauren Hicks said. Her points are echoed by fellow first lunch advocates, though the majority of students surveyed still tended to favor second.

Bringing a new change this school year, the adminstration decided to split the classtime block when students had second lunch on CAB days, so that students can eat before 1 p.m. Now, those students have class for 4o minutes, go down to lunch and return to class for the last 35 minutes. It splits the class, but offers students an earlier break to eat. Since the school year is not even a quarter over, students and staff are still acclimating to this addition.

So, no matter when the lunch period actually starts, the battle of better lunch finally has a (temporary) conclusion—second lunch is the winner.