After much deliberation, seniors may soon be allowed to eat lunch outside on the Hillside picnic tables. Administrators say the new privilege could materialize as early as mid-September; however, Principal Douglass must still make the final decision about the lunch period, as students’ safety is a top priority.

The administration hopes to distribute student ID cards to seniors soon. The ID cards would be used to monitor students who leave the building to eat outside, among other things.

The decision to allow students to eat outside is one involving great foresight and planning. In order to maintain the privilege, seniors must demonstrate maturity throughout the process, administrators say. “They will need to exhibit outstanding leadership and appropriate behavior to be granted the permission and continue to hold on to it,” said Assistant Principal Robert Whitman.

Administrator Jill Stewart, 12th Grade Academy Director, wants the special lunch period to be meaningful for the seniors, saying, “It gives a way to let our seniors know they have made it to the top.”

At the former Kingswood-Northside campus, all students were allowed to eat outside in the courtyard. Journalism teacher and former courtyard monitor on B days, Andre Regan, comments on lunch at the old school, “Allowing students to eat outside at the old school was an easy decision because the courtyard was in the middle of the campus, and students couldn’t leave. Now, eating outside creates more logistics, because this campus is open and large. However, I would love to see the school work with the seniors to make an outdoor lunch possible because I think eating outside creates a nice break in the middle of a hectic school day.”

If all goes well, “eating out” could become a senior privilege for many years to come.