Students tend to have their favorite places to eat lunch, but the Student Lunch Room is not one of them. Instead, the SLR is locked during most lunch periods, and when it is not, it is used for private staff or club meetings. Lunch tables are often folded up in the corner of the room and are not used.
Under chapter 13 of the California Code of Regulations Title 5, Aragon is required to have a “Multipurpose/cafeteria area (indoor or outdoor) [that is] adequately sized and flexibly designed to protect students from the elements and [allows] all students adequate eating time during each lunch period.” The SLR fulfills these requirements solely based on its name, but its actual purpose is just as an alternative meeting space for clubs and organizations. At lunchtime, the library has taken over as the location for a student work and hangout space. As a result, the environment is louder than most libraries, making it a difficult space for students to silently study. Despite the librarians’ best efforts, students don’t have another formal indoor space to socialize at lunch. Furthermore, the library’s “no food” policy prevents many students from taking advantage of that space.
In a 2011 WASC (Western Association of Schools & Colleges) proposal, the idea was brought up of turning the SLR into a senior lounge. However, the Outlook does not suggest that this change should be implemented. Rather, the room should simply be what its name suggests: a place for students to eat lunch.
