No Talking During Lunchtime by Kate

No Talking During Lunchtime by Kate - September 2023 Scholarship Essay

It was the last week of school of my 5th grade year. “I can’t wait until summer vacation,” I whispered to my friend, Maddie, at the cafeteria during lunch. “Shh. You know there is no talking during lunch; go sit at the table by yourself,” my teacher exclaimed. Choking back tears, I sauntered over to the lone table to sit out the rest of lunch by myself.

I attended a different school for elementary school than I have attended in middle and high school. The elementary school that I attended had some very strict rules about certain things. One of those things was requiring no talking during lunchtime. Being a 5th grader with a lot to say, I found that to be very difficult. I spent the entire day listening in class and doing my assignments. Lunch was the one time I got to see and sit by my best friend, Maddie. I wanted to tell her all the things that had happened to me that day. Unfortunately, our school would not allow that.

Apparently, there had been some trouble with classes before me that became unruly during lunch. They would throw food, yell out things, and the lunchroom would get to another decibel level. The new Administration came in and decided to put a stop to all that nonsense. They said instead of quiet talking, we are going to cut out talking altogether and not allow talking at all during lunch. I was heartbroken. I have a lot of ideas and thoughts that build up inside of me during the course of one day at school. I need to get those thoughts and emotions out by talking about them with my best friend. However, that was simply not allowed at my school.

Students in elementary school only have a limited amount of time that they can be quiet and still for. They need an outlet to get all their energy and enthusiasm out. They need to be free to creatively express themselves. It is stifling to not be able to say what is on your mind and express your thoughts, feelings, and emotions throughout the course of a day. Lunchtime is the one time where we are with our friends, not required to listen to the teacher, and not working on our class assignments. It should be a time that we are free to talk freely with our friends and find out what is happening in their day as well. Student lunch is also about having time to talk, laugh and socialize with friends. Socializing is an important aspect of dining because allowing students sufficient time to relate to others provides a break in routine and refreshes them for afternoon classes.

However, some say that if you give the students a little bit, they will take a lot. They think that lunch should be a time of quiet relaxation; not getting loud and elevated to get the students riled up. I disagree. I think that lunch is a time where students can be free from the school and class requirements and express themselves and say what is on their mind. This would be at a reasonable volume level, of course. If it got too loud, the teacher could just remind the students to quiet down a bit.

In summary, allowing talking during lunchtime at school should be mandated for all schools. Students in elementary school especially need the time of creative expression and an outlet to convey their thoughts, feelings, and emotions. It is imperative for the students’ well-being to allow talking during lunchtime