As a junior at Niles West, I think I have been here long enough and earned the right to complain about new rules implemented here. Though I do think Niles West currently has a long to-do list of things to change, one of them is annoying me more than the others. It is the fact that students do not have the option to go into debt for school lunches anymore.

Students are not allowed to purchase any food if there is not enough money in their account. For example; if a student has a dollar in their account and wants to buy a fruit cup – which is one dollar and 50 cents – when they go to check out, their fruit cup will be snatched away and the student will be told they are not able to buy anything unless they have enough money to cover it.

I mean, I get it, kids can’t go hundreds of dollars in debt for school lunch, but now even if you are a little bit in debt they won’t let you get anything. It honestly is just annoying having to check if you have enough money in your account before buying something.

Personally; I will add money weekly, and by the end of the week I am around five dollars in debt; which I think is reasonable because I will cover the debt the following week. However; now I have to consistently add some money throughout the week.

I think the solution here is pretty obvious; to go back to how it was. I remember my freshman and sophomore year at Niles West and getting food was my main priority, not adding money or checking my account to see if I had enough. When you checkout they would only get mad at you if you are 20 dollars or more in debt, and even then they just tell you to add more money rather than taking away your food.

Also if the problem of debt is that noteworthy, why can’t Niles West reduce lunch prices? I say this because I also think that the school lunch prices are outrageous. If they reduced the prices of lunch kids are less likely to go into debt over a slice of pizza and drink.

I think this rule is the worst thing that has happened this year. I shouldn’t be stressed just to get lunch because I am a dollar in debt. Something needs to be fixed.