Ever wonder what’s served in the cafeteria? What students prefer to eat? Or even what the most popular school lunch to eat is?

Well, despite restrictions due to COVID, students still have a variety of options to choose from–but all must follow the new COVID-19 protocols. As a result, all lunches have to be pre-packaged meals so they don’t spread as many germs. With this year being so challenging, and lunch being one of the most social parts of the day, staff members at the school are making sure to keep students and other fellow staffers safe. Even though the meals are not what students and staff have received in the past, most say that they are still very thankful for the food that are being served, with the conditions for this school year.

However, there is a heated debate about which meals would be most popular: hot or cold? Hotter meals—such as crispitos and pizza—come in steamy little plastic bags, whereas colder  lunches—sandwiches and salads—are in clear plastic takeout boxes. Both, however, can come on a little boat tray.

From what’s being shared by the Freshmen here at the East campus, hot lunches are the hot thing to eat! As their first taste of high school, some of these Freshmen are enjoying a nice hot lunch in the cafe, but others still feel that cold lunches are good, too. But, a person can’t go wrong with a salad, right? Wrong. Apparently, eating their greens only leaves them hungry for something heartier later on.

From the lunchroom chatter, many students and staff are eating more of the pizza and bosco stick lunches. Why? According to Freshman Isaiah Morris,  “It won’t have ice chunks when you eat it.” Fellow Freshman Andi McClain agrees. “Hot lunches are always better because the cold lunches are always somewhat frozen.” Griffin Malott, also a Freshman, thinks he has a solution for that: “If it has cheese, it will taste better, because it won’t have little ice shavings on them!”

Junior Dejah Wright offers her years of cafeteria wisdom. “Hot lunches are more homey,” she simply explains, “and makes you feel welcome.” Wright makes a really good point. It’s a fact to say that many others would rather get a nice hot meal at home or school rather than frozen chicken or sandwiches.

Apart from what is the best temperature for food, there appears to also be a favorite menu item. According to those spoken to in the lunchroom, students and staff are eating more of the pizza and bosco stick lunches. For Freshman Ashyln Anderson—along with many other students in the cafeteria—the clear winner is the “Galaxy cheese pizza.”Another fan favorite is the broccoli-and-hot cheese lunch, which is served with the bosco sticks.

Thus, while it’s clear that there are those who will tolerate a frozen sandwich during this pandemic, it leaves others cold. In fact, (just like the title of the Marilyn Monroe movie) some like it hot!