Students at Red Oak Middle School cherish the 30 minutes they are given to eat lunch in order to escape the stressful problems that school brings. But after being trapped in class for four hours, coming into a cafeteria filled with loud, annoying kids isn’t exactly the escape students look forward to.

The school should create an outdoor eating area for students. This way, we can go outside and enjoy our lunch in a relaxing way.

Since students are inside all day, they’re not getting the amount of Vitamin D that they should be. The area right outside of the cafeteria has enough space for students to be in the sun or the shade, depending on the weather. Thirty minutes of time in the sun will fulfill the student’s need for Vitamin D. Not only do the students need Vitamin D, they also need some fresh air every once in awhile. When you’re stuck in the cold, dark school all day long, you almost forget how important it is to go outside and get fresh air.

When you have noisy, rambunctious teenagers in a small space such as the cafeteria, it gets pretty stressful, and sometimes, it’s a little too much for just one teacher to handle. Sure, there will have to be a teacher outside to supervise, but when students have a little more freedom and space, they won’t be so rebellious. While students are outside eating lunch, they’ll have the chance to take a mental break and focus on the calmness of the outdoors. Think of going to the park and having a picnic. Being able to eat lunch outside will remind students of fun memories and put them in a better mood.

With the outdoors comes many opportunities to be active and have fun. Instead of sitting at a table the whole time, students will be able to take a few bites and then go run around for a minute or two. Many students finish their lunch a few minutes early, so this wouldn’t cause a problem with the time given for lunch. Some students aren’t very active, and going outdoors would encourage them to run around a little more when they’re outside.

Sure, the school has been fine without it. But we would be so much better with the option of eating lunch outdoors.