In my brief stint in public schools, lunch was a time for socialization. A chance for you to cement your place in the brutal hierarchy of life. The food provided in those dank, musty halls was often something you would expect to see coming out of Dr. Frankenstein’s monsters stomach. It was to be avoided, and occasionally flung at other students.

       As I made my glorious transition to private school, I began to see my perspective on lunch change. As my academic day grew, and my workload started to pile on, I realized that I would require more than a measly two meals a day, and that school lunches, could surprisingly be pretty darn good. And like a warm bed, after a long day, the Fenn school dining hall was there for me.

       Growing up I had always been a very picky eater, turning up my nose to foods that disinterested me. And so in my early dining experience I stuck close to the hot hot food section, like a moth, drawn to a lamp. As my early years at Fenn went by I mindlessly consumed the main meal of the day, everyday. It was early sixth grade I realized, that our school had a salad bar, and a good one at that. I had always known of it of course, but I had never taken the time to fully delve into the culinary possibilities that were laid out before me.

      It started with the fruit. I had made a resolution to be healthier that year and I intended to keep it. So I started to change my eating habits. When offers a breadstick I would turn it down in favor of an apple. But that soon turned into me realizing I could have a salad instead of a taco or chicken fried rice.

       It took me a while to develop a taste for healthier and more diverse food options but I definitely don’t regret it. I learned to appreciate more foods through the school dining hall and I would recommend any hungry kid, to try out a slice of whatever the kitchen staff hands out.