It’s no secret that this year’s sophomore class is upset about the closed-campus policy during lunch. However, it is now December, and students have begun to accept the fact that they will be spending every lunch on campus with the freshmen.

Instead of wasting the lunch hour fantasizing about ways to sneak past campus security, students can take full advantage of all the things that are offered during lunch.

Sure, it’s not the same as going to Chipotle, but eating on campus allows you to spend time with all your friends, not just the select few that can fit in your car. You don’t have to worry about rushing back onto campus through the crowds; you will already be conveniently located less than 10 minutes away from any point on campus. Honestly, who wants to end their lunch by waiting in line for a late pass?

If you really want to spice up your on-campus lunch experience, you could try eating at new places during lunch. I know, I know. Your friends always sit at the third lunch table over, located north-east from the tallest palm tree. But, it could be fun to eat at a different lunch table for a change. Who knows, maybe the south-west facing table better suits your style.

If you’d like, you can escape the lunch tables all together and attend a club meeting during lunch. There are a variety of different clubs that meet every day; you are guaranteed to find one that is right for you. Clubs provide ways to meet new people, gain community service opportunities and become more involved with the school (and you will get your picture in the yearbook).

Another option is to go to your teachers or counselors to get extra help with your classes. The library is always open to study in or get some homework done.

Don’t be afraid to go out and meet new people during lunch time. Since we’re all here on campus, maybe we can get to know each other a little better. Chat with the people around you in the lunch line (you know you’ll be there a while) or start up a conversation with the person in your first period that you always run into.

It is four months into the year. Sophomores have acknowledged that on-campus is here to stay. Whether you are posting pictures of your food (#nutellasandwich), creating a playlist to get you through your next class or checking schoolloop to see if the test you took last period has been posted (it hasn’t), on-campus lunches are what you make them.

Closed-campus is not going away any time soon, and it is time to take full advantage of them. After all, there is no shortage of activities during our 42 minutes of freedom. Unless it rains.