During midterms or finals week, Lakewood High School’s altered schedule allows for students to have an open lunch period in which they will go out to eat at places near the high school. They then come back to finish the rest of their testing. After testing week, however, the schedule goes back to normal; where you go to all your classes and go to lunch but you must not leave the school grounds.

Lakewood High School should allow an open lunch period for students not just during testing week, but year round.

Having an open lunch will allow students to experience and practice management skills. With an open lunch policy, students must learn to manage their time wisely to leave, get something to eat, and make it back. This will allow students a better, real world experience  as opposed to what Lakewood high calls “real world experiences” and authorities who just make students wear their ID. Students who are planning on entering the workforce or attending college must have these skills to be successful.

While talking about real world experiences, an open lunch policy would allow students to practice budgeting. Budgeting is one of the most important skills students need to learn. It is also something the school cannot teach. Before going off to college or to live independently, students must learn to live within their means. Allowing students to have food choices away from school is one way of helping them learn this lesson.

This also allows for healthier food choices. The schools lunch, although they try, is not the healthiest option compared to the other options students may have. It also allows for more exercise to get to the students place of choice and back to the campus.

An open lunch policy would allow students to get away from the stress of the day, which is extremely helpful for students with anxiety or depression disorders. Do not underestimate the pressure and stress for students in today’s society. According to nea Today, “70 percent of teens anxiety and depression is a major problem among their peers.”

Sophomore Kate Healy says, “We should be provided an open lunch period, because the food in the cafeteria isn’t healthy and not everyone has time to pack a lunch so we should be given the opportunity to leave and choose something healthier and more fitting to our tastes.”

Open lunches would help students in many ways. Students should have the opportunity to leave the campus to learn responsibilities of the “real world” and be able to have a time to escape from the stress of school.