Rocky holds a lot of students and during lunch, finding a spot where you can reliably sit down and eat every day of the week can be challenging. Places like the tables and open spaces get crowded pretty fast and often require a plan B. But there are some spaces at Rocky that likely have a spot for you and your friends if you need them. The courtyard, band hallway, and often the media center are great places to enjoy your lunch period if you don’t plan on leaving the building.
The courtyard is located right in the middle of the Rocky building. It has many places to eat lunch such as at the tables or on the grass. This is often a good choice in terms of space and is reliable if you enjoy eating lunch with a group. When I eat in the courtyard, there’s always space and not too much noise which makes for a pleasant lunch period.
“Typically I’ll eat lunch wherever I need to be at that moment, so if I need to do chemistry work I’ll eat in Mrs. Week’s classroom, or if I need to do something for band I’ll eat in the band hallway. On days when I have free time, I’ll eat with my friends in the courtyard,” sophomore Ava Giovando said.
It does have its downsides, however–whether or not the courtyard is an option depends a lot on what the weather is like. If it’s too cold, too hot, windy, raining, or snowing this space can move quickly to the bottom of the list unless you’re willing to sit through those conditions. So if you’re looking to enjoy lunch outdoors in the Rocky courtyard, probably plan to do so in the summer and spring months of the school year.
Another good option is the Rocky Band hallway. If you’re willing to eat without a tabletop, this space works pretty well. Because it’s an indoor option, weather isn’t a problem when it comes to considering this space. I found that many spots are open here that also accommodate multiple people, which makes for a nice break between periods.
“I eat in the band hall because that’s where the band is at; that’s where I am,” junior Kyri Jewell said.
Although the movement in this hall is important to consider, Rocky’s band students are often practicing during the lunch period so while this space is good if you need a daily location, making sure you’re out of the way of people and frequently used doors is important when it comes to the students who are still working.
The Media Center is also a good lunch location. It has lots of seating and open space that’s free to use without needing to get out of the way. It also has the benefit
of being indoors, making it a more practical option year-round. But the Media Center has its downsides. If events are happening there, it can be closed to students during lunch, and it can also become slightly more crowded than other reliable lunch spots so seats can fill up quickly. I eat here less than in other spots for this reason. The Media Center is a good spot but walks the line between places due to the quickly filled tables and unreliable open times. You just can’t always count on it!
Empty space in Rocky can be hard to come by with so many students and staff needing space to eat lunch. It gets harder and harder to stick with the tables that were available during middle school and elementary school. But there are good spots for when other places are full; every space has its pros and cons which means that you’ll ultimately have to decide if these places are worth a try. Maybe cycle through these options to find the one that suits you best!
