Lunch is free, but some longtime favorites gone

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Shuhan Sun

Mixed reactions arose due to the lunch menus that have changed since quarantine.

Shuhan Sun, Managing Editor

Many people depend on school for lunch. Before the pandemic, lunch was costly. After quarantine, lunch is free. No longer do students have to pay $2.74 for their daily meal. What students didn’t expect is that lunch still comes with a cost. Lunch options are limited and many long time favorites are gone. School lines are considerably shorter, and students are required to get milk, which some are allergic to. 

Some students were unhappy by the new changes.

People were shocked to find even the classic lunches gone, such as tacos, enchiladas, or even nachos. 

“It’s weird not having these on the menu since they’ve been on there since elementary,” junior Jose Lara said. 

Some however, weren’t put off. 

“With the old options gone, it’s refreshing to see new choices,” says senior Marcus Rodarte. 

However, it isn’t just the menu that changed. Milk is now a requirement. If someone didn’t get one on their way out, lunch ladies will stop them.

“I’m lactose intolerant, but they still insist on me getting milk,” senior Dylan Duque said. 

Many people don’t want to drink the milk.

“I don’t know why they would make us take it (milk). We just throw it away in the end,” Rodarte said. 

Recently, a place has been set up in the cafeteria where people can place the milk they didn’t want- a stack on top of the trashcan.