By George Kent

The Prep Campus has changed drastically this year, opening up many new spaces, one of the most important of which are the two new lunchrooms. Last year, Prep had no official lunchroom, and so the Commons became the main hub for lunch. As a result, the room was packed with people every lunchtime, and every table overloaded. This year, however, AMH has opened up the prep campus with two new lunchrooms, and as a result the Commons is populated with barely half of the people that ate there last year.
The Sophomore class is a bit of an anomaly as far as lunchrooms are concerned. As Freshmen last year, they had no prior experience with any lunchroom other that the Commons. Because of the shrunken campus and crowded tables, many students opted to eat on the uncomfortable hallway floors instead of fighting for a table every day. While most students have migrated away from the hallways this year, some Sophomores have remained, gathering in the halls every during every lunch period. “It’s a lot easier to eat in the halls” said Sophomore Andy Braudigam, leaning against the second floor Adelphia lockers. “It’s better than fighting for seats in the Lunchroom.”
The new Great Room and Lunchroom provide more than enough space this year, now that AMH has opened up Prep’s campus, and relocated the school’s center of activity. It is now far less convenient to get to class from the Commons, as Adelphia is closed off and AMH has become the school’s new epicenter.
Now the new lunchroom, at the center of everything, is as crowded as the Commons was last year. It has a number of perks, including a proximity to many classes in AMH, the offering of a hot lunch program, and an incredible view of Lake Washington and the UW campus (where there aren’t obscuring trees). Students flood into this room at lunch every day, jockeying for a spot in the lunch line or for a seat at one of the tables.
Even with all of these new lunchrooms, things can still get crowded at Prep. The Juniors and Seniors, though, have an out. Instead of fighting for seats or retreating to the halls, they can just walk over to Pedrino’s or Pagliacci’s, or pile into a car to head to the numerous eateries on broadway.