Seating. Food. Lunch money. Delivery orders. Crowds.

These are all factors of a high school cafeteria, although West Chicago Community High School implemented new policies for students during their lunch hour as the new year began. Student announcements revealed that DoorDash and UberEats orders were prohibited after winter break, as well as an end to sitting in the counseling office to eat after Jan. 13.

The school’s address was blocked on food service websites in order to prevent overcrowding of deliveries in the office during the school day. The announcements noted that parents who brought food or items to their kids faced more difficulty, along with confusion and mix-ups between what belonged to certain students. Now, students can only receive their meals from outside the school if a parent or guardian personally delivers them.

“It’s unfair that we can’t [order food] because if the lunch prices are so high for mediocre food then I would rather pay out of my own pocket for food I would enjoy,” sophomore Olivia Zurko said.

More accessible food options following the order ban include meals provided by the school or pre-made lunches and snacks from home.

“I’m a picky eater and the food [at WEGO] is expensive, so ordering DoorDash is better,” junior Ceci Ayala said.

Ayala also noted that ordering food was useful for after-school sports and activities when students needed to eat dinner and stay late at the high school, as well as visitors who came for away games and events that might have wanted to order a meal during their time at the high school.

Additionally, seating in the open area of the student services office is no longer available to students during their lunch hour. Due to the overflow of high schoolers, the various couches, chairs, and tables became restricted to student assistants unless otherwise permitted, according to the student announcements.

“While we understand that many students prefer a smaller and/or quieter space to eat lunch, we have made the decision to no longer allow the option to students at large. The number of students using the space for lunch has reached capacity over most lunch periods. As a result, the space has become challenging to adequately supervise and remain a quiet location for those students who do need it,” Divison Head of Counseling Dawn Erickson said.

Along with overcapacity, the student seating in the counseling office during lunch periods created higher noise levels, ultimately influencing the decision to remove the option.

“The space is also an office area where phone calls are made, as well as a waiting area for students, parents, and our Student Assistants. It is important that the noise level remains at a minimum and there is adequate seating for those waiting for Student Services,” Erickson said.