Let’s be honest.  Everyone has had those days.  The days when you wake up at 7:36 and get to school by 7:49.  The days when you throw the wrinkled purple polo on top of whatever you were wearing the night before.  Everyone has these days, and on most of these days, there isn’t time for breakfast, or even a quick bite on the way out the door.  It’s on those days that during second or third period, your stomach begins to itself and there is nothing you can do besides pull an item out of your lunch and begin to munch in class.

To students like Michael Dirksing, a junior at Elder, it doesn’t make sense that eating in class can yield a punishment.  While going over modal verbs in German III, Dirksing rummaged through his lunch and began to eat an Uncrustable, but was surprised when Frau Kraeling demanded that he stop all consumption of food.

“I’ll just take the bricksheets,” Dirksing said, while taking another bite from his Uncrustable.  Eventually, Kraeling calmed the storm by threatening Mike with demerits and bricksheets.  Reluctantly, Dirksing placed the snack on a paper towel to save for after class, after sneaking in another two bites.

I caught up with Dirksing afterwards to get his official opinion on the matter: “If I have a 98 in the class, I should be able to munch on a delectable treat, such as a soft-crusted grape jam-filled Uncrustable…”  Sorry Frau Kraeling, but I’m gonna have to side with Dirksing on this one.  If only I had a 98 in your class.

Mere hunger isn’t the only reason that some believe eating in class should be allowed.  There are actually benefits of snacking throughout the day, as opposed to eating three meals per day, according to Fitness Magazine.  Eating throughout the day allows your blood sugar to stay consistent, which makes thinking and functioning easier.  With this information, it is more surprising that periodic snacking isn’t allowed in school.

That said, it’s not surprising that teachers like a certain structure in their classrooms.  Of course, every story has two sides to it; therefore, I went back to the north wing and consulted Frau Karin Kraeling, and asked her why she doesn’t think Dirksing should be able to indulge in his snacks.  She simply told me it’s because he is “not allowed.”

It makes sense that teachers could find eating a distraction, but c’mon.  One would think that high school students would be able to handle themselves with food, while still maintaining an acceptable learning environment.