By: Winfred Odhiambo

Covid, you’re great and all, and thank you for everything you have done for us, but limiting where we can eat is a little much, don’t you think? Eating in the school’s bathroom during lunch period is not as fun as you think it is, and neither is having to not eat in restaurants and cafeterias. As covid is weeks away from reaching its peak, and with Omicron spreading faster than ever, I personally believe we have no choice left but ti dig in an accept it.

Fulton County started off virtual for the week of the second semeste. Because of the increasing number of cases in the area, we went back the second week, then the mask mandate was lifted a few weeks later. We heard that everything would be fine as long as we maintain safe distance for one another–the question is, how? Over a thousand students attend North Springs High, many students and teachers choose not to wear their masks, since it is nolonger required, and to top it all off–it is flu season people!

Maintaining a safe distance is arguably not a factor when it comes to school cafeterias. Group gatherings, that’s what a school’s cafeteria is all about. The mean girls are on the left side of the cafeteria, the jocks are on the right, and the musical theater kids are in the middle gathering around and singing Christmas carols. We’re often separated.

My point is that the cafeteria is a space where all the students meet up with their friends and chat about the day so far, everyone is talking to everyone, people are getting up and moving around, touching, hugging, laughing and most of the time, it is when their mask are off. Of course, you’re not required to wear you mask in the cafeteria, you’re eating, giving all the more reason why the lunchrooms should not be open. No, I don’t have a life defining solution that will change the way lunch rooms operate for the rest of time, just a quick fix that may or may not ease our issue…eat outside!