Unless you have been living under a rock, you have probably seen the new cafeteria. And if you haven’t, here’s a rundown. When you first walk in, you see an array of tables, high tops, and circular tables (that students constantly complain about). The wall to the outside is entirely glass, letting in some necessary sunlight, with outside seating that will be available during the warmer months. The new serving area now has two places to get hot food, a salad bar, and an overall better flow during lunch.

When walking into the cafeteria, it looks new and shiny, there’s no wonder why the administration was so excited about it. But in reality, students are having trouble adjusting to the new environment. 

While teachers and upperclassmen definitely appreciate that freshmen boys can no longer pull up ten chairs around a six person table, the reality is that other students are also not able to get everyone they may want around the table, causing people to have to share chairs (which are very small and are very uncomfortable). 

Freshman Matilda Kelley explains how she feels about the cafeteria, saying, “I like it, but I feel like it’s kind of small. I don’t like that we can’t move the chairs for a certain number of people.” 

This feeling is echoed across the school. Many are struggling to find seats that they need for all the people they need to fit around a table. There are also people who have the opposite problem, taking one seat at an 8 person table, causing people who do have enough people to sit at the table to find somewhere else to sit. 

Currently, there is also a lack of seating in general in the cafeteria, causing an overflow into the Tim Bolt lounge. The cafeteria is constantly full, especially during PRTs, causing people to have to eat in classrooms in order to have somewhere to sit. 

Audrey Kourany ‘25 states, “Right now it feels really small, but I think it will be better when it is actually complete.” That seems to be true, since the entire area of the old cafeteria is currently being converted. 

When asked how she feels about the new cafeteria versus the old cafeteria, Kourney stated, “While we were not thriving, we were surviving.” This seems to be echoed across the school; while the old cafeteria was not ideal, there was no need for an entirely new cafeteria. 

There are some definite positives, though. The two new serving lines now allow people to get food and have plenty of time to eat it without having to waste half of their lunch standing. There are also a lot more options, such as salads, soups, and more hot food. 

The biggest and best change is that outdoor seating is now available. Though it cannot be appreciated currently, there will definitely be a steady stream of people there during the warmer months. 

Also, there was a definite need for the new spaces available and students and teachers are excited for the new materials that will be available to them. 

Though there is definite disappointment that can be seen with the new cafeteria, there is a clear consensus that once it is finished, a lot of good will come from it. And hopefully, by that point, we will be thriving.