In years past everyone was able to leave school campus before COVID-19. After coming back from a year and a half of online learning more precautions are being made to ensure the safety of students. This year there are new safety precautions preventing sophomores and freshmen from leaving campus.

These restrictions have made underclassmen feel trapped because they can’t go off campus and get food that they like. Instead freshman and sophomore have to stay on campus and have to eat the school lunch, which sometimes students don’t even like. Some students have allergies that restrict them from being able to eat school lunch. If freshman and sophomores were able to leave school grounds, they  could eat what they want, instead of only having the school lunch to eat. Those students who don’t like the lunch that’s given don’t eat until they get home. This is also their first year experiencing high school, which is already hard given the circumstances. If they don’t have a good lunch or they might not be able to eat because of their hunger.

Gisela Brito Infante, a sophomore at Santa Barbara High School, said,“I think that everyone should be able to leave campus because some students might think that it’s not fair that only seniors and juniors are allowed to leave and that sophomores and freshmen can’t”. She continued,”There aren’t so many options and the only thing that students probably eat is the fruit or they buy the gayetas (cookies) and juice/ water and that’s the only thing that they eat throughout the entire day because some students don’t eat in the mornings.” Another person I interviewed was Sabrina Cruz who is also a sophomore at Santa Barbara High School. I asked her how she felt about not being able to leave the school campus. She said, “ I don’t know why they changed it, it was fine the way it was.” Another thing she said was,“I feel like as long as they weren’t getting reports of the sophomores and freshmans then it shouldn’t matter because then it would exclude half of the student body and if it wasn’t broken why fix it?” 

 I also wanted the opinion of a junior who is allowed to leave. Valeria Polanco stated,“It really doesn’t affect me but I was a freshman once  and was allowed out so I think it’s unfair that freshmans this year aren’t allowed to leave”. She  continued by saying, “I have friends who are sophomores and it’s weird that they can’t leave the campus but I can. “We always have to separate during lunch and we shouldn’t have to.” 

I interviewed Andre Battle who is a senior at Santa Barbara High School, “I don’t really mind because when I was a freshman and sophomore I was allowed to go off campus, so I don’t really know why it changed.” he also added,” I am really confused about why they wouldn’t allow them to go off campus. I don’t really see the purpose.” I interviewed Bennett Van Donge who is also a senior at Santa Barbara High School, “I really like it because it allows juniors and seniors to have more room and less lines for lunch off campus.” 

In my opinion, I think it’s unfair that sophomores and freshmans can’t leave. We are high school students and we should be able to leave for lunch. We should also be able to choose what we want to eat instead of only having one option to eat.