Sign out at the booth, and any student has 40 minutes to eat wherever they would like or do whatever they want. Culvers, Chipotle, and even home can be the lunch spot of choice. But making it back in time is key. Each student with the off-campus lunch pass has 40 minutes to drive, eat, and drive back, otherwise they run the risk of showing up late with leftovers.

“I have been late coming back to school a couple times this year,” said senior Celia Palamalayil.

“Most recently, I left my car within 4 minutes to get to class and got stuck in a line of people scanning their IDs. My heart was beating very fast.”

Some common spots include Culvers, Taco Bell, Culvers, and Panda Express. These lunch spots are popular because they are close to the school and do not take a long time to prepare. According to Google Maps, Culvers is only a simple three minutes away from school and Taco Bell is only four. These options make going out for lunch very manageable. Students can also even go back home and enjoy the comforts of a home-cooked meal.

“My favorite spots are either Panda or Taco Bell because they are close by and have really good food,” said junior Ambar Zafar.

Some students instead go for a cup of joe. Both Starbucks and Dunkin are spots many students visit during lunch. Starbucks especially is right beside multiple lunch spots like Chipotle and Jimmy Johns, so it is easy for students to grab both a meal and a coffee. Something’s Brewing is also a very popular coffee shop.

“I have been going to Starbucks a lot,” said senior Maria Clark. “I get my iced chai latte with pumpkin cold foam.”

“I get coffee all the time,” Zafar said. “Always Starbucks because I am addicted, and it gets me through the day.”

Off campus lunch is an opportunity for students to socialize and just take a break in the day. Only last year was off campus expanded for more than just seniors, and since then countless students sign out with their ID each day to spend those 40 minutes however they please. Only freshmen have mandatory lunch inside the cafeteria so students get to enjoy the experience for a majority of their time at high school.

“I am glad that they have that opportunity now,” Palamalayil said. “It’s a great way to socialize with friends that one person might not have classes with, so I don’t see any harm in that.”