As the new school year has begun, seniors have seamlessly adjusted to having the freedom to leave school during lunch. Leaving school is very unfamiliar to the senior class, considering eating lunch for the past three years has been spent in the cafeteria. Many seniors will use the opportunity to go out to eat, while some will remain in the cafeteria or go home for the 46-minute lunch period. The Clarion is curious about where these students are headed once the 11:00 am bell rings.  The Clarion found that the best way to get a wide range of responses would be to create a survey.

Seniors seem to love the privilege of visiting their favorite places for lunch in or out of town, keeping in mind the short 46-minute period. Based on student responses, when asked, “Favorite place for lunch in Hawthorne?” the most common answer was Sunrise Bagels and Cafe. Although Sunrise is in Wyckoff, based on this survey alone, many students treat this place as their own. Sunrise has bagels, breakfast sandwiches, wraps, salads, etc.

Other popular responses were Angelina’s Fine Italian Deli and Bogie’s Hoagies & Deli. These are two of the best sandwich places in town, both located on Lafayette Avenue. While the popularity between these responses is no surprise, some outliers found within the data include Carlos Bagel Shop, Goffle Grill, Gourmet Express Market, and Yella’s. All are great places for lunch in Hawthorne that more seniors should check out.

Many seniors utilize their freedom to leave school and eat at home. Another question asked on the survey was, “Eat lunch at home?” The most common answer to this question was “some days.” Many students like to keep a balance between eating food at home and going out to eat. When students are given the privilege to go out to eat every day, it is easy to overuse that privilege, not remaining aware of money. The survey response reflects the smart decision made by most students to keep a balance between saving money and spending it on lunch.

The last question asked by the Clarion in the survey was, “Prefer to eat school lunch in the cafeteria?” The most popular response to this question was “no.” Now that seniors can leave school during lunch, the cafeteria does not have many senior sightings.

Once the 11:00 am bell rings, seniors rush to the security desk to sign out. This leaves the cafeteria with more space for underclassmen to eat with less congestion. There is room for all students to sit, whether in the old or new cafeteria.

Many juniors who receive their license junior year will fight this privilege granted to seniors only because some juniors have their licenses and can drive. While this is fair reasoning, leaving school during lunch is an exciting part of senior year to look forward to. Mainly all students during senior year have received their licenses, so going out to lunch is an opportunity that all seniors can capitalize on.