By Lilly Russoniello and Riana MacDermott, Staff Writers

This winter, lunches in the Commons have been feeling a lot less spacious than in previous years.  Due to social distancing and other pandemic-related restrictions since 2020, students at Trinity Hall have either been eating outside for lunch- weather permitting- or have been eating inside of classrooms.  Return-to-school protocols over the past three years have limited Commons capacity; so, the time has finally arrived for all students, with the exception of seniors, to eat lunch in the Commons together once again. 

However, navigating to the lunch table seats has been a hassle for nearly everyone. “Getting to the table that my friends at I usually sit at during lunch is almost impossible, especially when I am already late due to a lab period,” said Cadence Zink ‘24.  “Too many people sit at certain tables. At the end of lunch, everyone gets up at the same time.  So, people are always struggling to push through the chairs, clean up their food, and grab their stuff.  It can be a mess!” 

Commons combustion can be both disruptive and uncomfortable.

“It is very difficult getting to a seat at lunch,” said Ashley Hall ‘24.  “We also need to make sure that when we leave, we are cleaning up after ourselves to ensure it is clean for the group coming in for study hall.”

However, the limited options of rooms to study and eat lunch in have not gone unnoticed by the student body and staff. The Core Council is currently working with school administration to test out various options to help maximize the space at lunch. By changing the layout of tables and adding more garbage cans, the struggle of moving to a seat and the remaining food left at tables will be alleviated. The community welcomes feedback and encourages all students to come up with proposals to help make the experience as great as possible for students until our campus grows.