Heschel’s Friday lunches–which often feature breakfast for lunch, pizza bagels, and grilled cheese–are some of the best and most exciting of the week. After a long week of classes, these lunches should provide a delicious sendoff for the weekend. However, these meals are often difficult to obtain due to excessive overcrowding in the dining hall.

On every other school day, lunch periods are staggered to ensure that the lines aren’t too long. Yet, due to the shortened Friday schedule, there is only one 25 minute lunch period for the entire high school. As a result, the lunchroom becomes exceptionally crowded with lines curling around the lunch room and through the door. 

Furthermore, as there is no passing period before or after lunch on Friday, students have very little time to secure and eat lunch before the start of Period 6.

After the Period 4 bell rings on a Friday, I often sprint to the lunch room before the rush. If I come any later, it would be nearly impossible to eat before the end of the period. I’ve spent entire lunch periods waiting in lines that seem to get only longer as time passes, ultimately leaving empty handed at the sound of the bell.

“It’s difficult to have four grades in one dining hall, especially with such a short lunch period,” junior Mia Perry said. “Sometimes I don’t have time to get food, so I just grab a bagel instead.”

With the addition of Hachana into the Friday schedule, there simply isn’t enough time left in the day for tefilah, six class periods, and a full length lunch. If a second lunch period cannot be added to mitigate line-crowding, the removal of Hachana may be the only solution to this issue. 

Even on a shortened day, it’s very important that students have access to enough lunch. In leaving so little time to eat, the new schedule does not adequately ensure that everyone has the opportunity to eat a delicious meal.