by Meredith Raymer

The rule restricting food and drink in classrooms has been in place all year and its enforcement varies from teacher to teacher. However, recently teachers have begun to enforce the rule more strictly due to an email from the administration.

According to the STA Student Handbook, “Food and drink are allowed ONLY in the cafeteria. Students are to eat lunch in the cafeteria at the assigned times.”

“It works really well when two classes go to the Commons and the other two classes go to classrooms then switch,” principal of student affairs Mary Anne Hoecker said.

There are various reasons this rule is in place, according to Hoecker.

“One [reason] is food gets left in the classrooms and we don’t want bugs and we don’t want mice,” Hoecker said. “Another [reason] is we really want students to socialize in the commons during that period of time.”

Also, if sophomores and juniors stay in a classroom both activity periods, the students leaving the Commons after activity one can’t always find open classrooms, according to Hoecker.

“The other reason is [during] activity one we only have so much time for the freshman and seniors to get through the [Bistro Kids] line,” Hoecker said. “If a lot of sophomores and juniors get into line, then they are holding up the very students who are supposed to eat during that first activity.”

However, not all teachers fully enforce this rule. During first activity period May 2, about 50 percent of the classrooms in Donnelly Hall and M&A Building had students eating in them. Technology teacher Kayla Leatherman said she allows students to eat snacks or part of their lunch, but not a whole meal.

“I know when you’re waiting for lunch if you have our food with you I understand eating a little snack, but not a hot meal or anything from Bistro [Kids],” Leatherman said.

Science teacher Renee Blake does allow students to eat in her classroom if they missed lunch for a meeting and could not eat in the meeting.

“If they’re hungry, I’m not going to deny them one of the basic necessities,” Blake said. “It’s like not letting them go the bathroom.”

On the other end of the spectrum, Spanish teacher Marina Lopez does not allow students to eat in her classroom and has a sign posted on her door to alert students to the policy.

“I thinks it’s best for students to understand they need to follow the rules,” Lopez said.

Just as the teachers vary in enforcing the rule, students vary in their acceptance of and compliance with the rule.

Sophomore Claire Jefferson always goes to the cafeteria for lunch and likes not walking in to “stinky” classrooms after lunch.

“But, it’s hard when [you eat] second activity because you’re so hungry and you have nothing else to do [during first activity],” Jefferson said.

Sophomore Emily Laird rarely goes to the cafeteria for lunch, often eating in classrooms.

“I know I’m not supposed to [eat], but I usually have a lot of homework that I have to get done… [and] I need more than one half hour period,” Laird said.

However, if a student comes in for help they will not be forced to leave and eat in the cafeteria according to both Lopez and Hoecker.

“I don’t want them sacrificing their activity plus their eating time,” Lopez said.