Is it just me, or does it annoy everyone that they only let in about 20 people at a time to the scramble area (the room where you get your tray, entrée, French fries, etc.) in the lunch room? I mean, sure, some people may have disliked the free-for-all in the scramble area two years ago; but then again, isn’t that why it’s called the scramble area?

                I’ve had some time to think about this new system, and I really just don’t like it.

                First off, when waiting to get into the scramble area, it smells bad—like straight-up body odor. I’m not pointing at any one person in particular, but 30 high schoolers can start to smell pretty bad in a classroom—let alone a 30 ft. by 30 ft. grid.

                Secondly, when I’m packed shoulder to shoulder waiting for the lunchroom czar to let in 20 more people, I hear everyone’s stupid conversations. I don’t care who cheated on whom, who snitched to their parents about something, or why “he doesn’t deserve her.” This is the only point in my day where I am forced to listen to dozens of idiotic opinions—all in the span of about five minutes.

                Thirdly, I assume that one of the reasons they changed the system of entry into the scramble area is because of the pushing that used to occur in the scramble area; but there are still those super cool guys everyone likes and invites to parties that feel the need to shove through the crowd of people, plugging their collective noses, outside the scramble area. The lunchroom czars would know this was happening if they ever dared come even remotely close to the dense cluster of rank, hungry teens. This also probably accounts for the reason that almost everyone has his or her phone out while waiting for the next stampede of 20 to get into the lunchroom.

                Finally, none of the above issues would occur if we had more than a little over 20 minutes to get our food and eat, but we don’t. So, if anyone wants to get his or her food, and have time to eat it without sucking it down like a vacuum cleaner, he or she is forced to join the mass of students surrounding the scramble area door.

                I don’t dislike everything about lunch this year though, we finally got a salad bar, and it’s fantabulous.