On February 23rd, 2022, Colton High School held a Grand Opening of our new Cafetorium with a ribbon cutting ceremony during both lunches. This Cafetorium serves as both a multipurpose room and a new lunch building for all students.

And recently, Colton High School has instituted a new mandatory lunch perimeter.

There has been both a wide range of support and hate from students about this new policy.

Lunch is a big thing for students because it’s the only time they get free time with their friends outside of class.This enjoyment is now restricted. For many, the new perimeter feels like another forced punishment because it denies them the freedom to enjoy lunch where they please.

Several students also enjoy playing basketball, soccer, or just goofing around during lunch. The new perimeter has eliminated access to the basketball courts and open space.

Despite these obvious issues, the new perimeter does have many benefits.

For example, with our limited number of security guards, protecting roughly 1,000 students at lunch is more manageable. With students allowed to be anywhere on campus, including classrooms and the basketball courts, this creates two major issues:

One: a lack of safety and security for students; and 

Two: a lack of attentive behavior on students.

There has been an issue with students ditching periods by going to lunch instead of class.

Also, there are concerns about students vaping in the restrooms during their lunch periods.

With this new perimeter check, security guards and faculty can effectively watch and take care of students when they are outside the classroom.

Principal Abbott has been listening to students’ complaints, and is trying his best to include any new ideas while still maintaining safety for students.

Addressing complaints about the basketball courts, he claims that once this initial process is done, the perimeter can be expanded to include the basketball courts once again. And benches also have a high chance of returning as well.

“We want to preserve tradition,” Abbott said, “while at the same time move forward with modernization.”

With this modernized lunch perimeter, however, the traditional senior lunch benches have been removed.

What Abbott hopes to accomplish is to create a dedicated painted bench for seniors and a mural in which the senior class will get to paint every year.

With all complaints being made, administration seems to be working to incorporate those ideas and work them into the new perimeter with time that will ensure all students will have a safe and enjoyable lunch experience. 

Although there is definitely room for improvement with this new perimeter, it should be given a chance before being judged and criticized.