I remember my freshman year, sitting at lunch, watching all my upperclassmen friends leave lunch to go downtown and drive to popular food spots with envy in my eyes. At Menlo, one of the most visible divides between freshmen and upperclassmen isn’t just the workload or class schedules; it’s freedom. Freshmen are required to stay on campus during their free blocks, tutorial and lunch, while sophomores, juniors and seniors are allowed to do as they please. This rule, although well-intentioned, is unnecessarily restrictive, preventing students from fueling their bodies properly and accessing important tools to improve cognitive abilities and mental health; it should be reconsidered to allow freshmen the same privileges as the grades above them.
The biggest issue with this restriction occurs during lunch. While the school cafeteria works hard to provide a variety of options that fit many diets, the truth is, not all of the choices appeal to everyone. During my freshman year, I often found myself in a dilemma: either I’d force myself to eat something I didn’t enjoy, or I’d skip lunch entirely. Neither was a good choice.
Downtown Menlo Park is only a short walk from campus, with plenty of food options that better accommodate different palates. Why should freshmen be denied the chance to buy food that leaves them satisfied, stomach-ache-free and fueled for the rest of the day? Allowing freshmen this opportunity doesn’t just support healthier eating habits — it also treats them as the more mature high schoolers that they are.
Some may argue that freshmen aren’t able to handle the responsibility of being off campus during school hours. But responsibility is something that grows when it’s practiced, not when it’s restricted. When newly graduated middle schoolers become freshmen, Menlo’s rigorous academics and schedules thrust them into a significantly busier schedule than they had previously, which is already a lot of responsibility placed on their shoulders. Allowing freshmen to leave will teach them to better manage their time and organize their schedule to allow for a trip downtown. If Menlo truly wants to prepare us for independence in later grades — and life — giving freshmen the chance to manage their own time and choices is the best way to start.
The walk to get downtown would also allow freshmen to get any extra energy out of their system and keep their bodies active, as opposed to forcing them to sit around campus all day. After being sedentary in classes for hours, it can feel draining to stay stuck on school grounds with little opportunity to stretch or move around. A quick walk to grab lunch provides not just a break for the mind, but also the body. According to The University of Iowa’s Scanlan Center for School Mental Health, movement during school days can improve brain function, sleep quality and energy levels. Considering that Menlo doesn’t include P.E. as part of their upper school curriculum, students have no designated times to get exercise, which a fun, relatively short walk could easily fix.
It’s time to reconsider the current policy. Menlo’s ideology revolves around providing its students with freedom and independence to prepare for college and their futures, so why prevent students from having an extra opportunity to apply time management skills? Freshmen shouldn’t be forced to go hungry or settle for food they don’t want. Instead, they should be trusted with the same freedom their older peers enjoy — the freedom to step off campus, grab a bite downtown and return energized and ready to learn. If Menlo wants students to learn how to be independent, the school should give them as many avenues as possible to do so. I say we act on our school’s values and truly give students the choice to make decisions suitable for their schedules and needs.
