Schedule Change Leads to Longer Lunch Lines: Was it a Bad Idea?

Tens of students line up outside the lunch room

Cristina Mascarua

Tens of students line up outside the lunch room

Cristina Mascarua, Content Editor

Riviera’s returning students notice conflicting schedules, including shorter lunches and longer lines. The move upset students, as the majority agreed last year’s schedule was better.

Eighth-grader Emma Fernandez said, “I prefer last year’s schedule best because this year is just kind of chaotic.” Because the schedule change only allows for two lunches rather than four like last year, the cafeteria is overcrowded. Students must also wait in line before eating, so the question is: how should students manage these inexhaustible lunch lines?
Jessica Lanz, Dean of Student Affairs, says, “I think students need to be patient; if it was me and I didn’t get to the front of the line early, I would just hang out, maybe in the library or outside with my friends, and kind of wait for the lines to die down rather than standing in line and just upsetting myself… I would just jump in maybe 10 to 15 minutes after lunch starts.”

Even though students see many flaws in the current schedule, administrators believe the change is for the best. “Yeah, it was more rigid; everything was more rigid last year. We feel like now it’s a little bit more relaxed, a little bit more free, and we like that,” said Lanz.
Although students hope to return to last year’s schedule, the probabilities are minimal. “The chances of us going back to it, I don’t see it happening,” said Lanz.