Two sophomores attempting to escape SLOHS after the closed campus rule was enforced. Photo Illustration courtesy of junior Jackson Sullivan.
As the 2025 school year kicks off at San Luis Obispo High School, sophomores are furious at the new rule banning them from going off campus during lunch. Sophomores wanting different lunch options should be able to leave, most having their licenses or being able to walk. Sophomores should be allowed to go off campus during lunch, allowing students to get lunch and support local businesses.
“It’s honestly unreasonable to not let sophomores off during lunch, especially when there aren’t many food options to begin with,” said sophomore Addison Hopple.
Students typically grab lunch at places like local restaurants Franks, Panchos, or Smart and Final. The variety of choices can enrich students’ lunch experience and give more freedom to people often old enough to drive and manage their own time.
“So as you know, our school underwent a significant remodel over about a 10-year period. Originally, the idea was when all of the Commons was done, the big kitchen was done, that all students would be on campus. But since that time, our school has grown by about 200 people, and we just sort of looked at it all and realized that that wouldn’t really work,” said SLOHS principal Rollin Dickinson.
SLOHS’ kitchen remodel opened up more opportunities for lunch options, yet some students don’t like to be limited to what the school offers.
“Most days I want something different than what’s offered, and it is pretty frustrating at times,” said sophomore Finn Halderman.
Many underclassmen struggle with the provided food choices, prompting them to find food elsewhere.
This raises another issue caused by having a greater number of students on campus during lunch.
“It’s getting harder to find places to sit in the cafeteria, and benches are getting filled up more quickly. If they are going to keep more people on during lunch, then they should at least provide more seating,” said sophomore Jaco Paul.
If SLOHS provided more seating during lunch for sophomores, then they might be more likely to want to stay on campus. Potentially adding more options during lunch for students might improve enjoyment for older students.
There is a rumor that juniors will be included into the policy next year.
“It sounds like there’s a rumor out there that juniors are next, you know. So that’s not the plan. The plan is it’ll just stay this way,” said Dickinson.
Although the ban might be frustrating, current SLOHS sophomores will likely be allowed off campus next year as juniors, for now, they can enjoy the opportunities offered on campus.
