As the 2012-2013 school year winds down, the construction in and outside of Room 120 continues to baffle some students. The explanation of what’s going on lies in the new modified drop schedule that is being put into effect next year. (You can find more information on the drop schedule in the article “Modified Drop Schedule Coming to HHS” on HHSClarionNews.com). To accommodate all the students during the one common lunch hour, a new cafeteria is being built in Room 120, and an exit door and ramp to the outside is also being installed to meet the state law that requires every lunchroom to have a handicap entrance/exit.

Room 120 will be slightly different from the old cafeteria down the hall. There will not be a kitchen with stoves and there will be no deli line; lunch will be sold from aisles simliar to the regular cafeteria except only premade food will be sold such as salads, premade wraps, burgers, and snacks, etc. (The basic “Grab-n-Go” style).  More staff will be hired to prevent backups and confusion and also to sell food while other staff members cook the food and prepare wraps for the students.

“When I sat in on meetings about the Room 120 cafeteria, I believe they said that the new cafeteria will hold about 250 students,” said Judy DeKnight, Pomptonian Food Service Director. There will be televisions in the new cafeteria similar to the televisions in the current lunchroom. A screen and projector will also be added to the new cafeteria so that the room can be used as a lecture hall as well.

Students can eat their lunches and enjoy the company of their friends in a variety of places on the first floor including the two cafeterias, the courtyard (where six new tables will be added), and also the gym balcony.

Principal Barry Cohen stated that the costs for construction of the cafeteria and ramp are coming from “the cafeteria surplus fund at no extra cost to Hawthorne residents.”  The Cafeteria Surplus Fund is money set aside strictly for additions and advancements to the cafeteria.

On May 21, cafeteria workers will be trained for the new point-of-sale (POS) cards students will be allowed to use. The next day, students can come into lunch with their ID cards and scan the barcode to put money into their account for lunch. Students can choose to put change left over from payment on their card as well by either scanning the barcode or using their ID number on the card.  “It sounds like a good idea to me,” said Johnbek Sagdic, a senior at Hawthorne High School. “Students hate getting a handful of change to clink in their pockets all week.”

“Gym classes will be narrowed down to about 30 students so that Health classes can be held in regular classrooms,” said Barry Cohen, Principal of Hawthorne High School (HHS).  Since Health classes have been held in the large all-purpose Room 120 in past years, the classes must be decreased in size to fit into regular classrooms.

For the rest of the school year, Room 120 will be off limits to all students without faculty permission. Health classes (which has previously been taught in Room 120) will, for the rest of the year, be held in the band room next to Room 120. Room 120’s estimated finish is at the end of May.