The cafeteria is great because it allows people to have a space to wind down and connect with friends while enjoying their lunch. But while socializing and allowing yourself a break from academics is important, occasionally students may want to spend their free period preparing for their other classes.

However, for those looking for a quieter area to spend their lunch period, the cafeteria isn’t an ideal place to be. It’s loud and oftentimes messy, which doesn’t create an appealing atmosphere for students looking to spend their lunch working or studying.

For upperclassmen, the ability to leave grants them the freedom to go off campus for lunch, which most juniors and seniors do. But for lowerclassmen looking to eat and study, the cafeteria just doesn’t cut it. 

The problem extends to other spaces in Gibbons as well. While Learning Commons is typically used as a social space, its less chaotic ambiance makes it more suitable for studying. However, after last year, the decision was made to prohibit eating in the Learning Commons. While this reduced the amount of waste trashing Gibbons’ campus, this also scrapped the idea that Learning Commons could serve as a place where students could have a more productive lunch, unlike the library. 

“I think it was a bad idea that they banned eating in Learning Commons because some students don’t like to eat where lots of people are for various reasons.” sophomore Anna Greene said.

Speaking of the library, it’s implausible that eating would become allowed there because of the littering that caused the ban in Learning Commons in the first place, which eliminates another quiet area in Gibbons to eat and study in.

With the construction of the new Student Lounge, some students have wondered if it would fill the role that Learning Commons used to. On one side, more people tend to study in the Student Lounge than in Learning Commons. On the other side, some students and faculty are nervous about the idea of having the Student Lounge become dirty from students eating there. 

“I think the Stundent Lounge is good. I think if they just implemented it and let people eat there, I think it’d be even more popular and have more use.” junior Joseph Abdenour said.

The outside Plaza is considerably the best place that could truly provide the opportunity to eat and work simultaneously on campus. Because most students opt to eat inside it has a relatively quiet ambiance and plenty of seating, in addition to the fact that eating is allowed there. But potential issues are still present, not from students, but from weather conditions and extreme temperatures. Especially in the winter season, weather problems create complications that once again leave students with limited options.

With problems in each potential area, how do you possibly navigate having a working lunch? Since the Plaza is a good contender, one of the best courses of action to take is to plan ahead what days you’d like to work and check the forecast for those dates. If the weather is going to be dreary, or outside dining just isn’t your cup of tea, consider splitting up your lunch period into separate eating and working portions and move to a quiet space to study before or after you eat.

Overall, while it is important to take time to relax and have a break from schoolwork, there are a variety of reasons you could find yourself needing to work during lunch. Sports, extracurricular activities, and prior engagements tend to fill up after-school schedules, so the next time your schedule gets crammed consider using one of these methods to plan a more productive lunch.